Supernova
by purplelollipops4
Summary: Nova Loyal becomes the youngest Death Eater ever, at the age of five, when her parents were murdered by her now-master. A Pureblood, Animagus, Legilmens, Metamorphagus, Parseltongue and possesser of a full photographic memory, Nova Loyal immediately comes to the attention of Professor Albus Dumbledore, determined to bring her over to the newly established Order of the Phoenix...
1. Prologue

Prologue

Rosier trembled in fear as he approached the Dark Lord, who stood with a small crowd of Death Eaters in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. As he drew closer, the Dark Lord turned to face him and silence fell throughout the vast room as everyone turned with him.

Rosier stopped and drew himself up to his full height, allowing his hood to fall back. He ran a hand through his long black fringe, hoping the sweat wouldn't grease his hair. He mentally shook himself, and turned to the task at hand. Somebody had to do it.

"My Lord, we found the Loyals, hiding in the Muggle town of Cork, Ireland. I realise that our orders were to capture Liam Loyal, the great Legilmens and Occulmens. However, we were not informed by the contact about he and his wife's prestige as master duellers, and it was impossible to take them alive. We were forced to kill them both."

The Dark Lord showed no reaction whatsoever to this news, although it was obvious to all that he would order Rosier's death. Rosier, too, sensed this, but until the others who had been on the mission returned, he had no defense, no proof. He broke into a cold sweat and tried to conceal the shaking in his limbs.

Just as the Dark Lord looked as though he would kill Rosier through eye-contact alone, there came a distinct '_pop' _from the courtyard outside, along with the sounds of several yelps of pain and spells being cast. Four men dragged a tiny girl, kicking and screaming, into the drawing room. Rosier sighed almost audibly with intense relief. Finally his proof had arrived.

The men dragged the struggling little girl to Rosier, who raised a wand to her and muttered, "_Immobulus." _The little girl froze immediately, held up only by the four Death Eaters. Rosier turned again to the Dark Lord, who was now looking vaguely interested.

"The child you see here, my Lord, is Nova Loyal, daughter of Liam and Mara Loyal. She is a highly gifted Pureblood and had inherited her parents' gifts, along with several other, _extras_." As the Death Eaters watched, Rosier froze and unfroze the girl so rapidly she hardly had time to blink, but the entire room saw her hair change from jet black to bubblegum pink.

"The child is a Legilmens, Occulmens, Parseltongue, Animagus, and, as you have seen, a highly gifted Metamorphugus. It seems that she has a completely photographic memory as well. Also, she is young and impressionable, and would be a most profitable replacement for Liam in your ranks. The time will also come when she will go to Hogwarts, where she can be your eyes and ears."

The Dark Lord considered Rosier's proposition for a very long moment, seeming to enjoy he and the four Death Eaters' discomfort as they awaited their fate. Finally, he gave a single nod. "Free the girl, Rosier", he commanded. Rosier, trembling, obeyed, and the girl sprang up from the floor, looking furious. When she saw the Dark Lord's terrifying figure, she looked straight into his eyes in a display of pure defiance. However, the Dark Lord could sense the fear buried deep in the young girl's eyes. Maintaining eye contact, he spoke.

"So, Nova Loyal, what age are you?" Nova Loyal drew herself up to her full height and spoke in her high, little-girl voice. "I'm five and three quarters" The Dark Lord's lip curled. "I think you will make an excellent addition to my Death Eaters, child. I could most definitely use your skills to my advantage." Lord Voldemort's expression turned to one of deep thought.

"What to do with you until then, though? If your parents are dead… You shall have to be raised amongst my loyal Death Eaters and their families. We are few, but I'm sure that Rosier will be most delighted to make the arrangements. In time we will be many, and you can enjoy the company of many more than the few families who follow me now."

Rosier nodded enthusiastically, long black hair flapping, sweat beading on his forehead and rolling down his face. "I even have a son Nova's age, my Lord. Evan. And then there are young Avery and Mulciber and Lucius Malfoy and and…" "Silence, Rosier!" "Yes, my Lord!"

The Dark Lord turned to the five year-old girl, who had wiped her pale face of all emotion. Already learning. "I think that you will be very useful to me, Nova Loyal. Now, I am aware that you are not yet six, but you seem to have an understanding great enough to make a rather simple, yet crucial, decision.

"Join me, and live; or reject me and die like your father did, with a little extra assistance from a very _useful_ curse. Life or death, Nova Loyal. Not a very difficult choice to make. So what's it to be?"

Little Nova barely hesitated. "Life. _My Lord"_ A small smirk played over her lips as her bright pink hair turned an acidic shade of Slytherin green. And so the daughter of Liam and Mara Loyal joined the Death Eaters at the rather tender of age of five. The Dark Lord offered his hand to the child, who grasped it firmly, showing no fear.

"Rosier. Take Nova Loyal with you when you leave, if you please, She shall be staying with your family for the present." Then the Dark Lord turned and swept out of the room, followed by all of the Death Eaters but Rosier, who offered the child a tentative smile and asked her to follow him. Little Nova clenched her fists until the knuckles turned white, breathing deeply. Then she turned and followed Rosier.


	2. The Heir to the House of Black

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, much as I'd like to… J

Nova Loyal rolled out of the wide, comfortable bed and landed, cat-like, on her feet. It had been almost six years since she had joined the ranks of the Death Eaters, and she was now a few weeks from her eleventh birthday. The ranks of the Death Eaters had swelled significantly since she herself had joined, and Voldemort was now openly recruiting. Some families were still doubtful that he really possessed the power he claimed, and so Nova was his proof.

"NOVA LOYAL! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANCE, OR SO HELP ME AVADA KEDAVRA WILL SEEM LIKE A BLESSING!"

Nova groaned as she pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, shoving her feet into socks and trainers. Over this she put her robes, jet black with a tiny silver Dark Mark, directly over her heart. She looked at the Mark with contempt. What would her parents have said if they could see her now?

Nova took her wand and made her way into the kitchen, fixing her expression into one of haughtiness and contempt at the world in general. Rosier stood by his kitchen table, leaning over it. His son, Evan, leant against the wall, looking bored with the whole thing.

"Ah, Nova, I see that you have decided to grace us with your presence. Now come, we are expected at the Black household within the hour. I expect you here ready and waiting, by no later than twenty past ten. Druella, Cygnus, Walburga and Orion Black are well placed to join our cause, and I would not like to be in your shoes if you mess this up."

Scowling, Nova stomped off to get some breakfast from the house elves. She simply couldn't wait until she got her Hogwarts letter. Even if it meant having to spy on her classmates and teachers it would be better by far than remaining here with the Rosiers, who were slowly doing what even witnessing your parents incredibly gruesome deaths at the age of five couldn't do: drive her insane.

She could feel herself morph as she almost shook with anger. She may have to go to the famed (for all the wrong reasons) House of Black, but that didn't mean she was going willingly. The Dark Lord was going to regret ever insisting that she went on this trip, someday.

At exactly twenty minutes past ten, Nova and several other Death Eaters Apparated into Grimmauld Place. One of the perks of serving one of the darkest wizards of all time: no Trace. Nova was free to do magic whenever she wished, and she probably abused that privilege, _just _a little.

Rosier took the lead of their little group, conjuring a snake Patronus and instructing it with a message. A few minutes after the Patronus had vanished, Numbers Eleven and Thirteen began to stretch apart, the occupants completely oblivious. A third house appeared in the middle, older and grander by far. So this was the famed House of Black.

The door creaked open, and an ancient, shriveled house elf ushered them inside. "Masters and mistresses told Kreacher to show guests to drawing room", it croaked, leading them down a narrow, dim corridor, the walls lined with moving portraits. Nova looked up as she passed the stairs and saw a glint of light: a boy a little older than herself, with black hair and dark eyes, playing absentmindedly with a wand, sitting on the top step. The boy made no move to greet the visitors, and none of the others even spotted him.

The visitors were shown into a drawing room and greeted by the Blacks: Druella and Cygnus, Walburga and Orion. It was the latter two who seemed to be the owners of the house. All four had jet-black hair, except for Druella, whose hair was blond; and all had haughty pale expressions.

The Death Eaters and Blacks exchanged pleasantries for the best part of ten minutes, and Nova began to get very bored. She sat down n the offered seat and accepted a cup of black tea.

Walburga began to speak. "Now, Rosier, as I'm sure you already know, we have the greatest sympathies with your master. There is, however, the small matter of my eldest….." Walburga was cut off mid-flow by Orion, who stormed over to the door, flinging it open. The boy from the stairs fell into the room, clearly having been listening in. Now that there was light, Nova could easily make out his features: a light tan, brilliant grey eyes and jet-black hair falling to just above his shoulders, clearly carefully maintained. He was wearing a gold and scarlet scarf, colours Nova recognized from Evan Rosier's thoughts about Hogwarts. Gryffindor colours. She remembered this boy especially, or rather, Evan did. As he noticed her looking at him, he grinned up at her, winking. Nova couldn't help but shoot him a quick smile back.

Orion was furious looking, but that was nothing to Walburga's apparent fury. With obvious effort, she fixed her expression and turned back to the visitors. "May I introduce you all to my eldest son and heir, Sirius Black."

At the mention of his son's name, Orion Black growled, making Sirius grin. Seeing his father's boot twitch slightly in his direction, he wisely decided to get to his feet, still grinning. "Pardon me, mother. Father. I was just looking for my owl."

Walburga's face tightened. "I thought I told you, Sirius, that your owl has been confiscated." Sirius, if anything, seemed to grin even more, with anticipation, almost. "I'm so sorry mother, but I promised James that I'd write." Sirius turned to his aunt Druella. "James Potter, Charlus and Dorea's son, you know."

At the mention of the Potters, Druella hissed angrily. Nova knew that the Potters were renowned Aurors and, according to the Dark Lord, notorious blood traitors. Clearly, the Blacks were of the same opinion.

Walburga now looked furious, not that Orion was too happy looking either. And that was the moment when Sirius jumped up and offered Nova a hand. "Would you like to meet the rest of the family, ma'am?", he asked with a grin and a wink, emphasizing '_ma'am_'. Nova raised an eyebrow but nodded eagerly, desperate to get out of the room before she died of boredom.

Nova and Sirius made a hasty retreat, out the door and down the long, dim hallway, leaving the door slam shut behind them. Sirius hauled Nova through the semi-darkness. He moved with ease, avoiding the various items strewn across the floor, while Nova stumbled every ten seconds. Thankfully, Sirius was decent enough to pull her upright again.

Sirius pulled her around countless corners, and Nova decided that the ground floor of the House of Black bore a remarkable resemblance to a labyrinth. Finally they arrived at a pair of double doors, huge and imposing like everything else in the house. Sirius bent down and put his lips next to Nova's ear. "Word of advice, m'dear. As you have no doubt realized, my family is insane. However, you have yet to meet _dear_ Bellatrix, so I would tread _very _carefully…" Nova shivered and Sirius smirked. He bent to her ear again. "Andromeda's grand though" Nova snorted and swatted him away. She reached for the door handle and pushed open the heavy door.

Three girls and a boy sat on various chairs scattered in a rough circle around a dusty sitting-room. Sirius flopped down onto a divan a few feet from the door while Nova stood there awkwardly. After several awkward minutes the boy nodded his head towards the armchair next to his. Nova sat down eagerly.

Four of the younger Blacks stared unabashed at the newcomer; Sirius was inspecting his fingernails. Nova wondered which one Bellatrix was: the pretty but aloof blond girl; the one with the sleek black hair and narrowed eyes; or the one with the slightly bushy black hair and heavy-lidded eyes, who bore the most resemblance to Sirius with the nonchalant expression she wore. Then again, the Blacks did have very strange taste in names, maybe Bellatrix was the boy, an almost exact clone of Sirius? The boy was clearly Sirius' brother, apart from his slightly brighter blue eyes, light smattering of the very faintest freckles and the shorter equally-black hair, they looked exactly alike.

Finally Sirius seemed to tire of the awkward silence and sat up. Running a hand through his carefully-maintained fringe, he gestured grandly to the first girl, with the blond hair. "Nova, this is my cousin, Narcissa. Narcissa, Nova Loyal." Narcissa nodded curtly and Nova grinned widely at her unnervingly. Sirius shot her an appreciative wink.

He waved his hand at the girl with the narrowed eyes and the bushy-haired one. "Nova, this is my cousin Andromeda. Andy, Nova." 'Andy' winked at Nova before throwing a pillow at Sirius, which he easily blocked with a wave of his wand. "MY NAME IS ANDROMEDA, SIRIUS!" Sirius just grinned and moved on to the last girl. "This is another cousin, Bella. Bella, meet Nova." "IT'S BELLATRIX, SIRIUS!", she yelled. Waving her wand, she sent a horde of black bats flapping down at Sirius' face. Nova recognized the expertise of a fellow expert Bat-Bogey Curse caster. Sirius hit out at the bats for several hilarious minutes until 'Andy' took mercy and waved her wand to banish the bats, earning herself a glare from her sister, who was muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "filthy blood traitor", while glaring at Sirius.

Panting, Sirius carelessly waved a hand at the boy. "This is Regulus. Reg, I'm pretty sure you've caught on by now." Regulus bowed his head and nodded, concealing a small smile only Nova noticed. After yet another awkward silence, Nova decided that she was a bit beyond shyness. "So what year are you all going into?"

Bellatrix spoke first. "I'm in seventh year, Slytherin of course." Narcissa was next. "Fifth year, Slytherin." Narcissa was clearly a woman of few words, at least were strangers she clearly regarded as beneath her were concerned. Andromeda looked about the same age as Bellatrix, so Nova was surprised by her answer. "Third year, Slytherin."

Sirius spoke up next, and the other young Blacks turned away with disgust, as though they were about to be humiliated. Sirius noticed this and grinned, a sight that was becoming increasingly familiar. "Second year. Gryffindor", he announced proudly. Nova thought she would move on before Sirius' relations leapt on him and killed him. She turned to the youngest Black. "So, Regulus, what about you?" "First year", murmured the boy without raising his head. "Me too", grinned Nova. "Maybe we'll be in the same House!"

"Yeah, maybe", murmured Regulus. Nova noticed that he always seemed to speak in such a soft, low voice. She rather liked that. Everyone else she knew were always shouting or speaking harshly. It made a nice change.

Sirius fiddled with his scarf for a few moments before looking back up, bright-eyed. "Do you play Quidditch?" Nova nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah? What position?", he gushed. Regulus sniggered. "Sirius is in love!" Sirius snorted and turned back to Nova, waiting on her answer. "Seeker", Nova stated simply. "Me too" Nova turned to Regulus, who still hadn't looked up. He did look like he had the build for it: small and slight, but speedy looking. Nova herself was small and quite slight, the perfect build for a Seeker. Sirius and the others looked suitably impressed at her position, well-known for being the most potentially lethal. "So Sirius, what position are you?", she asked curiously. "Beater", he grinned, flexing his arm muscles to the apparent contempt of Bellatrix. "He still hasn't gotten on his House team though", she muttered snidely, earning herself a glare from her cousin.

They watched Sirius and Bellatrix bicker about Quidditch (Bellatrix apparently played Chaser for Slytherin), 'bringing shame on the good family name', etc. etc. They seemed to have a lot to argue about. Most of Bellatrix's ammunition revolved around Sirius' three best friends, known collectively as the Marauders. After hearing Bellatrix roar for five minutes straight about how they'd hung Avery upside-down in the Great Hall at breakfast, Nova couldn't hold it in anymore: the image of sly, sneaky Avery bested by a bunch of first-years was too much to bear. Sirius, Bellatrix, Andromeda, Narcissa and Regulus all shot her strange looks. "Sorry", Nova spluttered, "But I know Avery, and all I can say is, Sirius if that's true, I am a _big_ fan of your work!" She burst out laughing again, while Bellatrix and Narcissa looked on, frowning. Sirius grinned, winking at her.

Then the door burst open, revealing Rosier and Avery Sr. "Come on, girl, things to do", growled Rosier. Nova jumped up from her seat. As she was about to leave, Regulus grabbed her wrist, beckoning for her to bend down. "Sirius prefers to be called Siri", he stage-whispered. Growling, Sirius leapt at his brother. The last thing she saw before the front door closed was Bellatrix trying and failing to separate the Black brothers. Nova grinned, guessing correctly that she would be seeing quite a lot of the two at Hogwarts.

Back at the Rosier Manor, the Death Eaters had assembled. Rosier slipped through the drawing room door, ordering Nova to remain outside silently. The instant the door shut Nova had her ear up against the keyhole, but it seemed that the Dark Lord was smarter than that. Nova couldn't hear a word through the strong Silencing Charm. Resigned, she slumped down against the door, sinking to the floor.

"GIRL!" The door opened and Nova fell into the room, hitting the floor hard. "Get _up!", _hissed Rosier impatiently. Nova scrambled to her feet, tugging her robes back into place. Then she turned to the Dark Lord. He looked impassive, as always, but Nova didn't dare use her Legilmens to penetrate his mind.

Finally he spoke and broke the tension that had been building. "So, Nova Loyal… I have heard of your, _performance_, shall we say, at the House of Black. Needless to say, I am less than happy. The entire purpose of your visit was to recruit Walburga, Orion, Druella and Cygnus Black to our worthy cause. Instead you go off and talk like infants with their blood traitor son! You are wasting our time! The sooner we can move against the Ministry and Albus Dumbledore, the sooner we shall be restored to our rightful place. Now we shall have to arrange another meeting with the Blacks, when we could be doing something more worthwhile!" The Dark Lord was almost screaming by now. Nova stood stock still and wiped her face of all emotions. It was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do. Especially when she knew what was coming next.

Trying to distract herself from what she knew was coming, she scanned the small crowd of Death Eaters. She spotted Evan, Avery, Mulciber and Dolohov towards the back, a group of twelve and thirteen year-olds trying to be men . They were all looking on, looking eager and curious to see what she would do, all except for Evan. While he didn't look quite like he was about to jump in front of her or anything, he didn't look like he would enjoy what was coming. Nova fixed her eyes on his clear blue ones and didn't look away. Neither did Evan Rosier.

The Dark Lord reached the peak of his anger and raised his wand. Nova fought the instinct to raise her own and cast a Shield Charm, but she knew that it was no use. If she did that, it would be a lot worse. She stared unforgiving at Evan, who finally looked away, ashamed at what he was about to witness. Nova turned away from him and faced the Dark Lord, looking him firmly in the eye, making sure she showed no fear. Pride was all she had.

"_CRUCIO!" _The jet of blue light hit Nova like a ton of a bricks. The pain came an instant later. "_Silencio"_, Nova forced out as the pain descended like a black cloud. Every nerve felt like it was on fire, burning her up from the inside with unbearable pain. It was white-hot, like a lightning strike that struck you repeatedly. Nova screamed silently through the Charm as she fell to the floor, willing her muscles to stay rigid.

_Her parents were surrounded by Death Eaters while she was hidden behind the couch. Suddenly a jet of cold blue light shot out from the lead Death Eater's wand, straight at her father. Her mother, a Metamorphagus, morphed in distress. "_PROTEGO!"_, yelled Liam Loyal, every line of his young face slick with sweat and desperation. The spell hit the shield, shattering it into a million pieces before hitting Liam. He hit the ground hard, face contorted into a horrible scream he never left pass his lips. Her mother screamed in horror at her husband's suffering begging to make it stop. Liam Loyal lay rigid on the ground, bearing the effects of the curse in silence. Leopold Mulciber, the caster of the curse, turned to her mother with a sick grin, wand raised. "I'll make it stop", he hissed. Then came the jet of green light, ending her parents' suffering._

Finally the pain stopped, just as Nova was about to break the Charm and beg for death. If it had been granted for her parents…. And it wasn't like she was leaving anything worthwhile behind. She released herself from the Silencing Charm and slumped to the floor, panting and wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"Rise", hissed the Dark Lord. Nova complied, trying to hide the shaky weakness in her limbs. "Now get out" Nova happily obeyed, sprinting out of the room and up the stairs to her room. She was about to let it all out when she heard a distinct tapping at the window. Wiping away tears she went to let the owl in and read the letter it had delivered. Then she let out a small smile. Letting the owl out, she grasped her wand and morphed away the tear-tracks. Then she grinned evilly and turned on the spot, vanishing.

Nova appeared on a mossy boulder in a windy moor, panting to catch her breath. She closed her eyes for a minute, and when she opened them, a tall old wizard with a long, sweeping white beard. Albus Dumbledore. He was smiling kindly at the panting girl with the cropped bubble-gum pink hair. Nova straightened up and caught her breath. "Hello sir" "Good evening, my dear. How are you?", he asked kindly.

Nova nodded impatiently. "Great, sir, I'm doing great. But I can't take _him_ anymore. You're right, sir, he does need to be stopped, and I suppose I can help a little with that." Dumbledore nodded seriously. "Thank you, Nova. I do hope that you understand how dangerous this can truly be, though. However, if we can nip this darkness in the bud, it could save a lot of lives. I can only hope that we can manage it." His piercing blue eyes had wandered off into the distant horizon, in the direction he had most likely come from. Abruptly, he turned back to Nova. "Now, my dear, when are you coming to Hogwarts?"

Yay I finished my second chapter! If anyone's reading this, pleeeeaaase REVIEW! Tnx J


	3. Hogwarts School

Nova Loyal sprung out of the bed and threw on her robes eagerly. Today was the day: she was going to Hogwarts! Finally she would be able to get away from everything. It had gotten worse since the day of the visit to the Blacks' after the Dark Lord had realized how little the Cruciatus Curse had appeared to have on her, she reminisced, her hand going to her right arm automatically. Nova pulled up her sleeve to reveal a long jagged cut from elbow to wrist. Good thing the robe sleeves were long. At least all of her other 'punishments' were also hidden. Nova picked up her Hogwarts letter from the dresser again, allowing herself a small smile.

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_( Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock )_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards_

_Dear Nova Loyal,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into the Second Year of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Having received reports regarding certain extra abilities and an eidetic memory, we feel that you would be more suited to Second Year. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

Looking at the clock on the wall, Nova cursed. She was late. Cursing under her breath Nova levitated her trunk down the stairs to where Rosier and his son waited. "About time too, girl", growled Rosier, grabbing her forearm roughly. Together, the three of them Apparated into Kings Cross Station, where Rosier left them. "C'mon, Nova, let's get a cart", mumbled Evan. He had been very awkwardsince the Dark Lord had cut her arm at a Death Eater meeting. Nova suspected that Evan Rosier disapproved of that punishment, not that there was really anything he could do about it.

Evan returned with the cart and loaded on the two trunks, before showing Nova through to Platform 9 and ¾. As soon as they were on the Platform, Nova took her trunk and took off without a word. She didn't have any real problem with Evan, having known him for so long, but Avery, Mulciber, etc. would be along any moment, and they weren't the type of friends Nova wanted to have. Come to think of it, she would keep an eye out for Regulus Black. He seemed nice and sweet, quite unlike his brother '_Siri'_. Nova smirked, hoping that the two boys hadn't actually killed each other that day. They had seemed pretty close to it.

Fighting her way through the crowds of crying parents and embarrassed children, Nova was forced to levitate her trunk towards the train, ignoring Evan as he called out for her to come back. Just as she reached the Hogwarts Express, she heard what she presumed to be him again. "OY! NOVA LOYAL! HEY!" "FUCK OFF EVAN!", she bawled back, drawing several glares. Shrugging it off, Nova boarded the train and found an empty compartment.

Once seated, she played around with her wand, practicing several curses on the opposite seats. Looking out the window, Nova spotted Evan, Avery, Mulciber, Dolohov, the Lestrange brothers and Lucius Malfoy. They were strutting around like they owned the place, coldly mocking First Years. Nova's blood boiled when she heard Evan snidely call a poor girl "Mudblood." She would kill him!

The platform was slowly emptying as students boarded the train, but still Evan Rosier's gang strutted about. Eventually, after watching Lucius Malfoy for one minute too much, Nova simply couldn't restrain herself. Standing up, she imitated him for a good two minutes, strutting her stuff around the compartment, attempting to get his facial expressions right, laughing her head off. All was going well until Avery tapped Malfoy on the shoulder and pointed to Nova's window, eyes narrowing. "_Shite!", _shouted Nova, diving to the ground. She was sure Lucius had seen her!

"Wait? _Shite? _That's a new one, right Prongs?" Nova jackknifed to a sitting-position, then stood and turned around. Four smirking boys were standing outside the door of her compartment, which Nova now noticed was made of _glass_. To make it even better, one of the boys were Sirius Black, eldest son and heir of the House of Black.

"So, Loyal", asked Sirius absentmindedly, "What've you been up to?" He dropped down on the seat right next to Nova, while another of his friends, with messy black hair and glasses, sat on her other side, sandwiching a scowling Nova between them. Two more boys stood awkwardly in the doorway. The sandy-haired one was wearing a pair of reading glasses and a smile that was both kind and apologetic. The other boy had mouse brown hair and small mouse features, and was staring at Sirius and Nova's fellow seatmate with unabashed admiration.

Sirius noticed Nova staring over at the other boys by the door and decided to introduce his friends. "This is James Potter", he said, gesturing to the boy with the black hair and glasses, whom Sirius had called Prongs. Then he pointed to the sandy one, "Remus Lupin", and the mouse brown boy, "Peter Pettigrew."

"C'mon in, lads" Sirius waved Remus and Peter in. They sat down on the seat opposite, looking awkward. "So, Loyal, what was the dance about?", asked Sirius, eyebrow raised. Peter, Remus and James burst into laughter and Nova scowled. "Lucius Malfoy", she muttered under her breath, loud enough for the boys to catch. James looked impressed. "The sixth year?" Nova nodded. He four boys looked quite impressed. "So", James asked conversationally, "Is he always such a prick?"

Sirius clipped James on the ear but Nova just nodded, grinning. "Oh yeah!" She turned to Sirius. "Actually, he's dating your cousin, Narcissa!" Sirius started muttering under his breath as the others laughed at his expense. "Your hilarious! What year're you in?", asked Remus, crying tears of laughter at Sirius. Nova took the time to mutter a spell and send James at Sirius crashing into the walls as they shot away from her, allowing her to breath. Smirking at the boys' wounded expressions, she answered Remus' question. "Second year, with you, actually." All four looked shell-shocked. "B-b-but you s-said", spluttered Sirius, "That you were going into First!" Nova smirked. "Due to my _special abilities _and photographic memory, I'm not."

"Cool!", grinned James, "What 'special abilities'?" "I'm a Metamorhpagus", she replied simply. Nova decided against telling them about the Legilmency and Occulmency; being an unregistered Animagus was illegal; and being a Parseltongue was probably something best kept to herself. She really hoped that Sirius didn't know the full extent of her abilities.

The boys spent the next hour requesting that Nova show them just how developed her ability was. After showing them ten different types of pig noses, Nova decided to ditch the boys. "Sorry lads, but I've got to go find a bathroom. _Sorry_." Then she grabbed her wand and ran out of the compartment, abandoning her trunk. Wasn't much in there anyway. Nova took off down the train, looking for someone less- _irritating_ -to spend the remainder of the ride with. Halfway down the train, she spotted Regulus Black sitting in a compartment by himself, looking bored. Hoping he wouldn't mind company, Nova knocked.

Looking up with a surprised expression, Regulus waved her in. Nova flopped down on the seat across from him gratefully. "Thank _God_, Regulus. I've spent the last hour with your brother and his friends, and I don't think I can take any more. _Please_ let me stay here!" Regulus smirked, looking so like his annoying older brother that Nova nearly fled. "S'okay, Nova, you can stay here. And you can call me Reg, you know. '_Regulus'_ is a bit of a mouthful." Then he smiled. A _genuine_, kind, nice smile. And he looked so unlike Sirius that Nova stayed for the rest of the train ride.

The train pulled into Hogsmeade station just as it was getting dark. Regulus and Nova disembarked onto the platform, keeping an eye out for the Marauders. "Firs' years! Firs' years to me!", hollered a huge giant of a man, scraggy dark beard falling down his front, so unlike Dumbledore's elegant silver mane. The giant caught Nova's eyes with his own and shot her a wink. His bright beetle-black eyes gleamed with friendliness, and Nova liked him at once. "C'mon, Reg!", she urged, grabbing Regulus' hand and tugging him over to where the giant waited with the other first years. Regulus looked wary of the giant, but followed.

Just then they both saw Sirius and James poke their heads through the crowd, spotting Nova immediately. Sirius' hair stood out from his head like a scraggy mane, messed up from pushing through the crowd. James' hair looked similar and his glasses were askew. "NOVA! WHY'D YOU DITCH US! NOVA! NOT COOL", the two boys shouted, voices growing fainter as they were dragged away by the crowd. A large hand fell onto Nova's shoulder, causing her knees to buckle. Regulus caught her arm just in time, and Nova shot him a grateful smile. Turning around, the giant, for of course it had been him, looked rather embarrassed. "Sorry, girl, don't know me own strength!"

Nova grinned at him. "S'alright. So, not to sound rude or anything, but who are you exactly?" The giant looked flustered. "Oh sorry 'bout that. The name's Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of Keys an' Grounds a' Hogwarts." "Nova Loyal. I'm a new student here, but my letter says I'm supposed to be in Second year, which I don't get, 'cause I'm only eleven." Hagrid chuckled a little as Nova finished her statement and took a deep breath. "Well, girlie, you an' yer friend 'ad better come wi' me. C'mon now, don' delay!" He put a hand on each of their shoulders, lighter this time. Then he looked down at Regulus, a weird look crossing his face before recognition dawned. "Yer Sirius Black's brother, aren't ya, lad?", asked Hagrid gruffly, raising a hairy eyebrow. Regulus nodded stiffly. "With deepest regret, yes, that idiot is my brother." Regulus positively emanated a _talk-to-me-and-die_ vibe, and Hagrid dropped the subject immediately, looking confused. Nova smirked, remembering the scene she had witnessed leaving the House of Black: Sirius and Regulus pounding each other, dislike, almost _hatred_, in their eyes.

Hagrid guided them to a dock and into a boat that already had two occupants: a boy with sharp, cat-like features, bright green eyes and spiked brown hair with the blond highlights; and a girl with soft, pretty features, dark eyes and ginger-brown hair cut into a short, spiky bob to her ears. The boy was leaning out over the edge of the boat, dipping his hands into the inky-black water, clearly a dare-devil. The girl was frowning at him, hands twitching ever closer to pushing the boy over the edge, obviously wanting nothing more than to push him into the Lake, for all her gentle-looking exterior. Nova grinned, liking the two already.

She hopped into the boat, Regulus following. It rocked dangerously. Nova sat down and tapped the boy on the shoulder. He straightened up, running a hand through his spiky hair and grinning cockily. "Yeah, hot-stuff?" The girl scowled furiously at the boy's back, making Nova smirk. "So, what's your name?", asked Nova. The boy ran a hand through his hair again, reminding Nova of Sirius and James Potter. "William O' Brien, but you can call me Will, babe", he said with a wink. Nova and the girl snorted at Will's cocky attitude. Nova looked at the girl over Will's spiky head. "And you?" "Lisa Wyatt. You?" "Nova Loyal. This is Regulus Black", Nova said gesturing at Regulus, who gave Lisa and Will a small polite smile.

Will was once again leaning over the edge of the boat, fingers trailing the ripples in the water. Lisa looked like she really really wanted to push him in. Nova raised an eyebrow and Lisa smirked wickedly. Regulus glared at Will's back in extreme annoyance. The three of them nodded. "ATTACK!", screamed Regulus, as all three of them dived at Will, who turned around, too late, green eyes wide with terror. The three of them hit the poor boy with the force of a wrecking ball, sending him flying over the edge, the boat rocking dangerously. Will hit the Lake with a splash and disappeared beneath its inky-black surface. Lisa, Nova and Will roared with laughter as Will's head, spiky highlighted hair now plastered to his angry face.

"WHA' ARE YOU KIDS DOING UP THERE?", hollered Hagrid from further back in the fleet of rowing boats. Lisa shoved her fist into her mouth, tears rolling down her face as Will thrashed around, moving out of their view as their boat neared the castle. Nova gasped in wonder. Hogwarts Castle stood tall, gentle orange light glowing warmly from each of its many windows. It was beautiful. Nova looked around and saw that all of the other students were also gazing in rapture at the castle, Lisa's mouth actually hanging open. Nova could see the glint of excitement in Regulus' blue orbs. Nova looked back and spotted a drenched Will swamped in a hairy-looking jacket sitting in Hagrid's boat. He caught her eye and glowered, before shooting her a quick wink. Nova grinned at him before turning back to the castle. She had just made two new friends, making the grand total… three, not including Sirius and his irritating eejits of friends.

The boat hit against something, and Nova looked up with a start, lost in her thoughts. The First years got out of their boats and climbed onto the small dock. They appeared to be in some underground cavern, beneath the school. Nova, Regulus and Lisa leaned against the wall and chatted about what House they were most likely to be Sorted into. Regulus, of course, would probably be a Slytherin. Lisa said that her mother had been a Hufflepuff and her father a Gryffindor, but that she was okay with whatever House. Nova said she wasn't sure, but privately thought she didn't care what House it was once it wasn't Slytherin, Evan Rosier and co.'s House. It really was a pity that Regulus was a shoe-in for that House, then.

A few minutes after they had docked, a drenched Will pushed through the other First years. Having managed to ditch Hagrid's enormous hairy coat, he was now clad only in soaked black robes. Lisa burst out laughing at the sight of him. Will slouched over and leaned against the wall, scowling at them. "So,", said Nova, trying to supress a snort of laughter, "What House do you think you'll be in, Will?" "Probably Ravenclaw. My two older brothers and my older sister are all in that House. My parents were too. I dunno if I'm as smart as them though. Maybe Hufflepuff." All four of them burst out laughing, and Regulus clapped Will on the shoulder as he chuckled softly. Nothing about Regulus was particularly loud or extreme, unlike his brother. It was calming.

As they were all roaring with laughter at Will, the patch of wall he was leaning on disappeared, and they now realized that it was a door they hadn't noticed in the dim light of the cave. Light streamed in the gap, revealing a still-sodden Will on the ground in front of a tall, distinguished-looking woman, her graying brown hair pulled back into a severe bun. She didn't look as amused as Nova, Lisa and Regulus. Will was scowling. The woman took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

When she opened them, she spoke, in a voice one could not help but feel the need to obey. "My name is Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and Head of Gryffindor House. In a moment you will all follow me into the Great Hall, where you will be Sorted into your Houses in the presence of your fellow students. There are four Houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and all have produced great wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your House will be like you family, and you can gain or lose House points. The House with the most points at the end of the year will win the House Cup, a most prestigious honour. Now, if you would please follow me."

They formed a loose line and traipsed into the castle after McGonagall. She flicked her wand at a pair of huge, imposing wooden doors and they sprung open, revealing a huge hall, the walls seeming to stretch up forever, at the top a ceiling that seemed to be mimicking the outside weather. Everyone sighed in wonder before shyly following McGonagall as she wove through the four House Tables to the table where the teachers were seated. Ghosts swooped around everywhere, some sitting and conversing with students, one poltergeist Evan had told Nova about, Peeves, blowing raspberries in the teachers' ears. Professor Dumbledore smiled at the First years, electric-blue eyes twinkling over his half-moon spectacles, immediately making the new students feel more at ease.

Professor McGonagall gestured to an old three-legged stool, upon which sat a very old, raggedy-looking pointed hat. She turned to the First years. "When I place this hat on your head, it will call out the name of your House. You will then go and join you fellow students at the House table. Understood?" There was a flurry of mumbling. Then the Hat straightened itself up on the stool and burst into song, using a slit in its fabric as a mouth.

"_Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top-hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat,_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave of heart,_

_Their daring, nerve and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin,_

_You'll meet your real friends,_

_Those cunning folks use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The entire school burst into applause, and then 'Abernathy, Aoife' was called and pronounced a Hufflepuff, to great applause. All too soon, it was 'Black, Regulus''s turn. Regulus walked gracefully to the stool and pulled on the hat. The moment it touched his head, it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!" Regulus looked back at Nova before taking his place at the Slytherin House table.

The 'L's came and went, but Nova still as not called. She watched as her new friends Will O' Brien and Lisa Wyatt were Sorted into Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, respectively. Finally, the last name had been called and everyone was whispering and muttering as they looked at Nova, standing alone. Professor Dumbledore spoke up. "I would like to introduce you all to Nova Loyal, our new Second year. Although she is young, I and the staff believe that she is more than up to that standard. Nova, if you please?", he finished, nodding towards the Sorting Hat. Nova nodded and sat down, pulling the Hat on. It was so big that it slipped over her eyes, blocking her view of the Hall. It was then that she heard the small voice in her ear, and realized that the Hat must be talking to her.

"_Nova Loyal, hmm… Always wondered when you'd come along…" "_Get to the point, already!" _"Ah, I see impatience… I remember your parents, both Gryffindors if I recall correctly. You do bear an awful lot of similarities to them, your father especially… And you do seem to be very talented… Where would you like to go?" _"NOT SLYTHERIN! I don't think I could take being in the same year _and_ House as Avery and Mulciber! Then again, the Marauders're in Gryffindor, so I'm not too keen on that option either, really…. Ravenclaw, maybe?" _"Hmm.. I don't know, there's something else. Bravery, loyalty. Courage. As I said, a lot like you father. And after all you've been through. On that note, there's really only one place to put you… _GRYFFINDOR!"

Nova took off the Hat and made her way over to the Gryffindor table to great applause. She sat down next to Lisa after doing a quick Marauder-check. After that public presentation, there was no way they could have failed to notice her. _Uhhh! _Dumbledore finished his speech and waved his wad merrily. Plates heaped with every food imaginable appeared on the table. Nova and Lisa dug in with squeals of delight. Just as she was about to dig in to a plateful of roast potatoes, Nova felt a tap on her shoulder. It was a pretty looking girl with long, glossy black hair, probably in Second year. "Hiya, I'm Marlene McKinnon. You're Nova Loyal, right? I'm in your year. Could you pass the carrots, please? I'm absolutely _starving!" _Nova grinned and gave Marlene the dish of carrots. The girl certainly was friendly! Marlene smiled back. It seemed that Nova had made yet another new friend, albeit one with questionable sanity.

Two hours and four heaped courses later, the prefects led them through the hallways to a portrait of fat lady in a pink lacy dress. "Phoenix", called the female prefect, Molly Prewett. The portrait swung forward, revealing a hole through which they climbed into the Common Room. The Gryffindor Common Room certainly was amazing: full of comfy-looking couches draped with scarlet and gold covers and cushions, all bordering a huge roaring fire. Nova grinned.

Molly led the girls up a spiral staircase to their dormitories, Nova glad to get out of the Common Room in case she ran into Sirius. Nova was about to walk into the First year girls' dormitories after Lisa when she felt Molly's hand on her shoulder. "You're in there, Nova", she smiled kindly, pointing to a door across the way with the sign '_Second Year Girls_' on it. With a last look at a disappointed Lisa, Nova pushed open the door and went inside.

Four girls sat on four beds, all more or less twelve years old, about six months older than Nova at the very least. Marlene McKinnon was one of them, giving Nova a little wave from a bed near the window. The other three girls were kind if a little curious looking. Nova gave a little wave and nervous smile to try and break the ice. It worked: all four of the other girls burst into rounds of giggles.

"Hi Nova. I'm Lily Evans", smiled the pretty green-eyed red-headed girl. "Alice Prewett", said a girl with a sweet face and smile, and short spiky dark brown hair. "Emmeline Vance, but _please_ call me Em", begged a girl with breathtaking facial features and glossy chestnut hair that fell down her back like a waterfall. "Marlene McKinnon, but you already knew that", said Marlene with a grin Nova couldn't help but match. "Well, as I'm sure you know, my name's Nova Loyal." Nova flopped onto the only empty bed, her trunk already at the foot of it.

"So", asked Lily, "Have you had the pleasure of meeting your other fellow Gryffindor Second years yet, the Marauders? Or, as I like to call them, the Four Great Wastes of Human Life?" Nova burst out laughing, as did Marlene, Alice and Em. "I have, actually. They forced their company on me on the train. Very annoying, that Sirius Black." "_Sirius Black_ is the annoying one?", shrieked Lily, as though personally insulted. Nova must have looked confused, because Lily clarified, "Sorry, but I definitely think that James Potter has to be worse!" Em cackled. "Lils is only saying that because she _luurves_ him!" "I DO NOT!", Lily yelled, throwing a pillow at Em's head, beginning the most epic pillow fight ever, in Nova's opinion anyway.

She giggled uncontrollably as Alice was hit with four pillows in the face, all at once, and was thrown back on her bed. Marlene's wild laughs were cut short when she was hit in the mouth with Lily's pillow. Nova was laughing at Marlene's muffled screams when Alice, recovered, got her in the stomach. The Epic Pillow Fight continued for at least an hour until Alice, completely exhausted, actually fell asleep right there and then. It was only then that the others agreed that they needed to go to bed as well. Nova fell asleep smiling, deciding that she really liked how the day had gone. She had made several new friends, and was in Gryffindor, where, according to the Sorting Hat, "_dwell the brave of heart_." Not bad for someone who was basically a Junior Death Eater, she mused deep in her dreams of swirling scarlet and gold flags and majestic roaring lions. Awesome, actually.

Thanks for reading, if anyone's actually reading this…. Anyway please review! J


	4. First Day Disasters

"_Ssh, Alice, she'll hear us!" "Don't you think it's a bit much, Lils? I mean, we could just wake her." "Where's the fun in that? Marley, Em, are you ready? 'Kay, on three. One… Two… _Three!"

Four buckets of freezing cold water hit Nova in the face, soaking her nightdress and blankets. Her eyes sot open and she lunched at the culprits, screaming bloody murder. Lily, Marlene, Alice and Em soon stopped laughing and started running, down the stairs and into the Common Room. Nova followed, barefoot and brandishing her wand, drenched nightdress clinging to her, screaming words no eleven year old should know. Several people coming out of their dormitories were knocked aside, some blushing at Nova's creative use of the English language. "_COME BACK HERE LILY! I'M GONNA HEX YOU INTO NEXT SUNDAY THREE YEARS FROM NOW! ALICE, EM, MARLENE, HOW DO FEEL ABOUT LIVING THE REST OF YOUR LIVES IN TWO PIECES?!"_

Several First year boys leapt out of the way, terrified, as Nova fired several hexes in the girls' direction. The Common Room went into uproar, everyone running around and screaming. Through the fray, Nova spotted Lily's fiery red hair whipping behind a couch, the others indistinguishable from all of the other screaming students. As Nova fought her way through the mêlée towards Lily, a confident-looking Seventh year intent n playing the hero stood in her path. Nova blasted him out of the way without a second thought, sending him flying into a wall. Amidst the chaos, Nova glimpsed Sirius Black and James Potter sitting on a couch surrounded by screaming children, completely at ease. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew sat on the arms of the couch, looking almost terrified but standing, or rather _sitting, _their ground.

"LILY EVANS, I KNOW IT WAS YOUR IDEA!", Nova hollered, diving behind Lily's couch, making Lily let out a high squeal of fright. "I'M SORRY, YOU JUST OVERSLEPT!", she shouted. "NO EXCUSES!", bawled out Nova. She raised her wand and began to mutter an incantation. "_NOVA, LOOK!", _warned Lisa, tapping Nova on the shoulder. Distracted, Nova whipped around, wand raised, still muttering a curse, to see a furious-looking Professor McGonagall. Just as a stream of buzzing insects erupted from the end of Nova's wand and flew at McGonagall, enveloping her in a swarm of angry bugs, to great laughter. Nova gasped in horror.

Finally the insects disappeared with a pop and revealed Professor McGonagall, covered in huge purple boils that soon started to pop loudly, stinky streams of yellow pus trailing down the furious Head of House's face. Cue Sirius Black's bark-like laugh and the rest of the Marauders' snorts. McGonagall stood there for a full minute as each of the boils popped, growing steadily more incensed as her glare burned Nova to a crisp. When the last boil had popped the Professor waved her wand and Vanished the pus, exposing an angry red face.

"NOVA LOYAL! IT IS YOUR FIRST DAY OF SECOND YEAR, AND ALREADY YOU ARE CAUSING TROUBLE! YOU ARE WORSE THAN SIRIUS BLACK, WORSE THAN JAMES POTTER, WORSE THAN LUPIN AND PETTIGREW, WORSE THAN ALL OF THEM PUT TOGETHER! YOU HAVE CAUSED UPROAR IN THE COMMON ROOM, ATTEMPTED TO HEX A FELLOW STUDENT, AND ACTUALY HEXED YOUR HEAD OF HOUSE AND DEPUTY HEADMISTRESS! YOU WILL HAVE DETENTION FOR A WEEK EVERY NIGHT IN MY OFFICE, AND IF YOU EVER DO THIS AGAIN I WILL PERSONALLY THROW YOU OUT THE DOOR OF THIS SCHOOL! DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

Everyone in the Common Room looked terrified, but Nova forced herself to bury her terror and wipe her face clean of all emotion. Emotion was weakness. It made her look weak. "Hey Minnie, how could you insult us like that? That was nothing, pitiful! We're way better than that!", shouted James Potter from his couch. Remus buried his head in his hands. "Yeah, Minnie, totally lousy!", hollered Sirius. He and James both raised their wands, clearly intent on demonstrating how much more talented they were than Nova. Remus and Peter lunged for their friends, but were too late.

The two boys bellowed out a spell, and the whole Common Room watched in pure awe as they brought the chandelier crashing down from the ceiling, scattering terrified students with screams, bounced it off the floor the floor with the crash of breaking crystal, and sent it into the enormous fireplace with the force of a pouncing rhino. The chandelier hit the fire hard, and sparks flew out, catching on the carpet, sending small sections off it smoldering up in flames a furious, red-faced McGonagall hurriedly put out.

"_Oh yes,_ Potter, Black, clearly your talent is VASTLY SUPERIOR! ONE WEEKS DETENTION!", screamed McGonagall. Nova was grateful that her attention was on someone else, at least. Her relief was short-lived as McGonagall whipped around to face her. "Don't think that you're going to be getting away with this, young lady,", she forced out from between a thin-lipped grimace, still short of breath, "You, Mr Black and Mr Potter shall be at my office at eight o' clock sharp every night for the next week for your detentions. I shall see you tonight." With that she turned around and swept out of the trashed Common Room. Nova sank to her knees and groaned.

X

Nova ran into the Great Hall, afraid that she had missed breakfast. Lily, Marlene, Alice and Em had forgiven her, but had simply _had_ to go down for food immediately to recover from the shock. Nova burst trough the doors only to realize that there were actually quite a few people there still. Will gave her a jaunty wave and a thumbs-up from the Ravenclaw table, obviously having heard about her and the Marauders' _performances_ earlier on.

She sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Lisa and grunted good morning. Lisa gave her a slightly scared smile and a wink, offering her some porridge, which Nova gladly accepted. "So", said Lisa, "Detention with Potter and Black, eh?" "Should be fun", muttered Nova darkly, viciously buttering an innocent piece of toast. "What'd that toast ever do to you?", came a soft familiar voice from behind her. "_Reg!"_, squealed Nova excitedly, turning around and throwing her arms around him, almost knocking the poor boy over. "Hey, Regulus", greeted Lisa in a more normal tone of voice. "Hi Lisa", answered Regulus, giving Nova a quick squeeze before pulling her off of him. She pouted dramatically and folded her arms, sticking her nose in the air. Regulus and Lisa burst out laughing, Lisa snorting into her porridge. "_Ewwh!"_, squealed Nova. "Snotty porridge!" More laughter.

Lisa swung herself around on the bench until she faced Regulus like Nova, back leaning against the table. "So, Reg, did you hear about Nova's performance this morning? Lily Evans and her other Second year dorm-mates poured a bucket of water over the lazy-bones to wake her. Next thing we know, our entire House is taking cover from a madwoman! Then McGonagall came in and Nova hexed her! Potter and your stupid brother- no offense- sent the chandelier into the fire and burnt some of the carpet, though. So now Nova had detention with them both for the next two weeks!" Regulus laughed softly at Lisa's tale and looked at Nova with a new respect in his eyes.

Professor McGonagall appeared at the top of the Gryffindor table, frowning at Nova. "Timetables!", she announced, thrusting two huge piles of card paper at Remus and Peter, the first two students she saw. Nova and Lisa waited eagerly for their timetables. "Reg, did you get your's yet?", asked Nova, bouncing up an down on the bench. Regulus rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm. "Yeah. it's a pity we aren't in the same year, or we'd have classes together. Anyway, I've got Herbology, Potions and DADA with Lisa, and Astronomy and Transfiguration with the Ravenclaw idiot, Will Whatshisname." Nova raised an eyebrow. "Will O' Brien, Reg, not the hardest of names to remember." Regulus shrugged. "Nah, I think 'Ravenclaw idiot' has a nicer ring to it." Nova and Lisa smacked him on the head at the same time, laughing at the outraged look they got in return.

Remus Lupin appeared at Nova's shoulder, struggling slightly with the huge stack of timetables. He shot Regulus a weird glance before handing Nova and Lisa their timetables. "Hey, Nova. Heads up, Sirius and James are kinda pissed off about the whole train thing", he said with a kind smile. "Thanks for the timetable, Remus. Sorry about the train, they were just so _annoying!" _Regulus snorted at that and recognition dawned on Remus' face. "You're Sirius' brother, aren't you? Regulus, right?" A muscle twitched in Regulus' jaw and he nodded stiffly. Remus clearly got the message because he said his goodbyes and moved on down the table, handing out timetables.

Nova scanned down through hers enthusiastically, looking at the 'Monday' section. Her first subject that day was Potions, with the Slytherins. She groaned, attracting strange looks from Lisa and Regulus. "I've got Potions first thing, with the Slytherins", she explained. Regulus looked slightly offended at that statement, but the understanding look in his eyes told that he knew that there had to be something else. Nova clarified in barely a whisper, with a wary glance at the Slytherin House table. "Sorry, but Evan Rosier, Avery, Mulciber and Yaxley are in that class. They aren't the most pleasant people." Lisa and Regulus gave her understanding nods, before Regulus said his goodbyes to them and went back to the Slytherin table.

A few minutes later, Lisa and Nova left the Gryffindor table and walked off to Lisa's class. It was a little early, but as it was their first day at Hogwarts they were taking no chances. Lisa had Charms now with the Ravenclaws, which meant…. "LISA! NOVA!", shouted Will enthusiastically, running over to squeeze the two of them together into a group hug, making them gasp for breath. When he finally released them, Nova's right forearm burning. She had somehow managed to forget the long, jagged scar that marred her skin. Will and Lisa looked slightly concerned about the grimace of pain that had crossed Nova's face briefly. Trying to change the subject quickly, Nova asked Will, "Did you hear about this morning yet? McGonagall was _that_ mad and I have detention for two weeks with Black and Potter!"

Lisa and Will had soon forgotten Nova's grimace and engaged in a lively conversation. Nova stood and listened, nodding and answering in monosyllables. It was only when Professor Flitwick appeared that Nova realized that this wasn't her class, and that by now she was very definitely late. "Bye, guys!", she squealed before dashing off down the hall to the nearest stairs, earning some very strange looks from Flitwick, Lisa, Will, and the other students.

Nova raced through the now-empty halls, all the way down to the dungeons. Spotting a heavy wooden door, with a sign saying 'Potions' on it, she threw it open and stood there, hands on knees, panting, looking at the floor. Still looking down at the stone floor, Nova heard laughter, easily able to tell that Sirius was in this class by his distinguishable bark-like laugh. Catching her breath, Nova looked up slowly. She remembered Marlene mentioning the night before that the Potions Master, Professor Slughorn, was supposed to be more easy-going with the more talented students. Nova hoped that he would see her as potentially talented, seeing as she gone straight into Second year.

She smiled nervously. Professor Slughorn stood with his eyebrow raised, tapping his boot off the floor impatiently, waiting. "I'm very sorry, Professor, but as it was my first day here at Hogwarts, I'm afraid that I got lost. I thought that the Potions room was on the fifth floor. I'm very sorry, Professor, and it won't happen again." Nova heard Sirius snorted, and hoped that the sudden flare of anger she felt at that noise didn't show on her face. Slughorn considered for a moment before sighing and nodding, looking understanding and sympathetic. "Yes, my dear, of course it is your first day here, so just this once I'll let you off. Don't let it happen again though", he scolded, wagging his finger at her, a glint of playfulness in his eyes. "You can take the seat over there, dear."

Nova followed Slughorn's finger and saw that he was pointing at an empty seat in the middle row, in front of where Sirius Black was sitting. Then she turned to look at the person in the next seat… "Oh, and before I forget, Ms Loyal, your partner for this year will be Mr Rosier." Nova almost groaned out loud. She had successfully avoided Evan for almost a full day, but now she would have to sit with him in Potions for the rest of the year! Life was so unfair, she thought, as she trudged over reluctantly to take her seat next to Evan.

Taking her seat and dumping her bag under her chair, she tried to ignore Evan, sitting next to her, and Sirius, sitting behind her with James, Remus and Peter. The minute Slughorn turned around Nova was poked in the back and the shoulder by both Evan and Sirius. Whipping around to sit sideways on her chair and face them both, she hissed, "_What?" _A brief look of fear crossed Evan's face, making Nova smirk. It disappeared just as quickly, to be replaced with a look of cool indifference that didn't quite reach his eyes, which were warm and soft, reminding Nova that this was one of the few friends she had . Sirius didn't even blink, and actually had the audacity to poke her again, smirking.

"_Sirius Black, you saw me in Death Eater robes and you have the sheer _nerve_ to poke me in the back? Are you fucking _insane_?!"_ Sirius blew a loud raspberry. "Possibly", he answered thoughtfully, head cocked to one side. James smacked his friend over the head with his Potions book. Nova noticed that neither James, Remus or Peter had been at all surprised when she mentioned being a Death Eater. Sirius must have snitched on her, the bastard. Oh well, what could a bunch of twelve year old boys do? Just then Nova heard a shocked voice whisper, "_Omigod!"_ It seemed to have come from behind Remus. Craning her neck, Nova ignored the now continuous pokes in the back from Evan and Sirius. Lily, Marlene, Em and Alice were sitting in the row behind the Marauders. Lily and Alice were bone-white and clinging to each other, looking at Nova with mixed shock and fear. Marlene looked mildly surprised, and Em looked very calm for someone who has just been told that their dorm-mate is a Death Eater. Then Nova caught the two of them glancing at Sirius, who looked back at them for a split second and shook his head slightly. _Don't tell._ Sirius had obviously told Marlene and Em about her.

Taking a deep breath and hoping that Alice and Lily wouldn't tell anyone else, even if they never spoke to her again, Nova turned back to the front of the classroom slowly, getting more and more aggravated by the never-ending poking and whispering. That was when it occurred to her: neither Will nor Lisa knew about her being a Death Eater, but now they would probably know before lunch, robbing her of two of the best friends she would ever have. It was the regret that forced her to turn and shout-whisper, "_What?!"_, to Sirius and Evan.

Sirius recovered from the shock first. "_Why'd you ditch us on the train?", _he hissed moodily. "_ 'Cause not everyone likes you, idiot." _Evan smirked at Sirius before turning back around to Nova, dark hair whipping across his face. "_So, Nova, why'd you run off on that platform?", _he hissed, sounding pissed off. "_Because you were with _Malfoy." "_What's wrong with Malfoy?" "What's right with Malfoy?"_ Sirius was looking very amused by the whole exchange, although he and the other Marauders, who had remained largely silent throughout the exchange, all glared at Evan with what looked like a practiced hate. Nova remembered delving through Evan's memories of his first year at Hogwarts, remembered seeing Sirius Black and James Potter, remembered the hatred Evan had been unable to hide when she'd told him about Sirius on her returned from the House of Black. Although, having met the boy, Nova had to admit that Sirius Black was very easy to hate.

"….You will find everything you need in the store cupboards. Please begin." Nova whipped around to see Slughorn writing something on the board, having just finished talking. Then he stepped back, revealing instructions for an 'Invigoration Draught'. Without a word to Evan, Nova got up and stalked over to the supply cupboards to get the ingredients. When she got back, Evan had already gotten a fire going under their shared cauldron. Wordlessly, they each started to prepare their ingredients, Nova almost chopping off her finger. After that Evan seemed to realise that today was her first time in Potions class and took over the ingredient preparation, giving her a crash-course on root-chopping. Sirius must have sniggered for ten minutes straight without drawing breath, surely a world record.

"… Now you just stir the mixture anti-clockwise three times per minute, and then we add the Powdered Unicorn Horn and stir for two more minutes, then it'll be done. I'll just go get Slughorn to check on it, see how we're doing so far." Nova nodded, stirring the potion carefully, watching as it turned a sickly shade of acid green. She turned to ask if Evan if the potion should be this colour, as he was clearly talented at Potions, but he was already gone. The potion turned greener and greener, until it looked like the face of a person about to get sick. Nova grimaced. The potion started to smell, and smoke puffed out off her cauldron like a chimney. Then it started bubbling, big gooey bubbles that popped with a loud, resonant sound and disgusting odour.

Nova pinched her nose and stopped breathing, as she started to feel very dizzy from the fumes. In an effort to get away from the smell even further, she morphed into a form with a smaller nose, drawing a few curious stares. Looking into the clear surface of next-doors potion, Nova saw that she now had a long face, salt-and-pepper hair, and an impossibly tiny nose. Barely repressing a shudder, she morphed again, not into the form she had assumed before, but her true form. Heart-shaped face with pixie features, normally-enough shaped nose, chocolate-brown hair to her shoulders with a light wave, and huge pure silver eyes- not grey or even blue- but pure _silver_.

The potion bubbled and gurgled faster, and the smell spewed out even stronger. Several people around Nova started to grimace and hold their noses, and Nova smirked at the sound of James Potter retching into his and Sirius' cauldron. Although, she did feel a little like vomiting herself, she was just so dizzy…. And then Evan was back with Slughorn, who was peering into their cauldron with a disgusted grimace, Evan with an expression of horror. Slughorn looked to Evan in shock. "What happened, Mr Rosier? Your potions always turned out so well…" The potion bubbled faster, starting to spill out over the cauldron, the smell of rotten eggs filling the dungeons. Nova's face turned green and she turned to the side, unable to hold in the vomit anymore. With a loud retching noise she threw up. All over a horrified Professor Slughorn. Just as their cauldron exploded.

"Ridiculous really, I mean, throwing a child into Potions class for the first time, without any help but that of a twelve year old… Hardly reasonable, I ask you, what will Professor Dumbledore say when he finds out…", fussed Madam Pomfrey. Nova threw her head back on the pillow and scowled, keeping her eyes shut tightly so that she wouldn't have to look at the other occupants of the Hospital Wing. When the potion had exploded, it had actually taken out half of the Second year Potions class, including Professor Slughorn. The bright side of it, in Nova's opinion, was that Sirius, James and Evan had all been hit as well. Although, seeing as Sirius and Evan were each lying in beds on either side of her, with James on the bed directly opposite to Sirius on the opposite aisle. Spread out along two aisles were the rest of her affected classmates: Lily, Alice, Em, Marlene, a Slytherin girl, and a greasy-haired boy Nova recognized from Evan's memories as Severus Snape. She gave a delighted grin when she looked further down the row of beds and spotted Mulciber, still unconscious. It was the best sight she'd seen all day.

Pomfrey hurried to her office on the other side of the Hospital Wing, still muttering about 'idiotic, unsafe practices'. When she was gone, Sirius and James burst into laughter, tears actually rolling down their faces as they worked themselves up. Sirius turned his head on the pillow towards Nova, winking at her. "Good one, Loyal. Thanks. A lot. According to Pomfrey, we're in here for the rest of today, and maybe some of tomorrow. We missed _dinner! _'Spose I should be thankful I'm not you, Rosier or Slughorn though, you all got the worst of it!" James and Sirius laughed their faces off, but Nova was worried about exactly what 'the worst of it' meant.

Then she saw Madam Pomfrey emerging from her office. "MADAM POMFREY, I GOTTA QUESTION!", she roared at the matron's back. Pomfrey turned around and returned to Nova's bedside. "Indoor voice, dear. Now what is it?" "Sirius told me that I got the worst of it. What does he mean? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with Evan and Slughorn? OMFG, _Slughorn_- did I kill him?! Oh my God, I killed a teacher, _I fucking killed a teacher! _I AM SO FUCKING DEAD!", screamed Nova, losing all control and thrashing around in the bed.

Sirius and James burst out laughing, probably breaking several ribs in the process. Nova felt herself go into hysterics, Madam Pomfrey hurriedly rummaging around in a press, glass bottles clinking. "I FUCKING KILLED A FUCKING TEACHER! FUCK ME, I'M SO DEAD, SO DEAD, SO FUCKING DEAD! WHY IS MY LUCK SO CRAPPY, ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS MAKE A FUCKING POTION, BUT I CAN'T EVEN FUCKING DO FUCKING THAT, INSTEAD I GO AND KILL HALF ME FUCKING CLASS AND TEAC-", Nova's foul-mouthed tireade was brought to an abrupt end when Pomfrey jammed a bottle into her open mouth and tipped it up, emptying the full contents into Nova's mouth.

Suddenly Nova's world was very blurry, as though seen from the opposite end of a long tunnel of light. She could see Sirius and James laughing, Evan looking weak and miserable, Severus Snape glaring at Sirius and James, and Marlene and Em giggling and snorting as they watched recently-brought-back-to-consciousness Lily and Alice hyperventilate. She was floating, looking down at her body from above as it slowly stopped thrashing and relaxed on the sheets. Pomfrey pulled the curtains around the bed and started to shout at the still laughing figures of James and Sirius. The figures in the Hospital Wing slowly grew more and more distant as Nova was pulled up the tunnel. Just as she saw the tears rolling down Sirius Black's unattractively red face, the tunnel folded in on her and everything went black.

Nova Loyal sat at the Gryffindor table, stabbing at a piece of roast chicken. The Great Hall was empty, as dinner did not begin for another ten minutes. Nova had been released from the Hospital Wing about half an hour ago and instructed to go to class, but she had decided that she just couldn't face another class if they were all going to be as awful as her Potions one. The last to be released from the Hospital Wing, Nova had missed a solid week of classes, as had Slughorn, although he had left the Wing earlier that day, afraid to look at Nova for fear that she'd attempt to kill him again.

Apparently, the side effects of being drenched in a bad attempt at an Invigorating Draught were hysteria and frequent bouts of psycho-mania, ensuring that none of the other patients who had spent time in the Hospital Wing during her stay would ever forget her. On the bright side, however, it seemed that her week of detention had already passed while she was drifting in and out of consciousness. Marlene and Em, her only two visitors apart from Lisa, Will and Regulus, had eavesdropped on Sirius and James' first detention, when they had apparently set their supervisor, a rather naïve Professor Flitwick, on fire. At least Nova had had company in the Hospital Wing.

Slowly the students started to filter into the Hall and sit at their House Tables. All of the Gryffindors gave Nova a wide berth, as if afraid that she would suddenly spring up and kill them all. Just because Patrick Finnegan had been in the Hospital Wing at the same time Nova had been having a manic fit… It was his own fault really, you shouldn't come that close to someone who was quite clearly temporarily insane and not expect to have half your ear bitten off. He'd cried like a baby, not that Nova had seen the big deal. Pomfrey had sewed it back on.

"Hiya, Nova!", sang Lisa as she swung herself down into the seat next to Nova. A shy-looking girl with reddish brown hair and freckles sat next to her. Lisa reached for the roast potatoes and dug in, not noticing the awkwardness for several minutes. "Oh, sorry, forgot to introduce you two. Nova, this is Mary McDonald, a girl in my class. Mary, this is Nova, one of my best friends. And, despite the current rumours, she is _not_ insane. At least, I don't _think_ she is." Nova punched Lisa on the arm playfully and Mary giggled. "So", asked Nova conversationally of Mary, "Any siblings or family at school?" Mary shook her head. "No, I'm an only child and the first of my family to come here. Muggleborn." Nova grinned widely, loving this girl already, picturing the look on Rosier and the Dark Lord's faces when they received the letter from Evan. '_Dear father, it is my greatest dismay that I must report that Nova has been fraternizing with Muggleborns…' _At the very thought, she snorted. Mary seemed to take offense from this, shoving her nose in the air. "If you have a problem with that, you can shove it up your ass!"

Nova had to laugh at the girl's guts. Half of the school seemed to believe that she was a Death Eater, as she was, and here was this eleven year old Muggleborn girl just daring her to discriminate against her. Not that she would. "Problem, Mary? Oh no, you just made my day. Smile for Evan Rosier, would you? I want him to write to Daddy about all the unsavory things I've been doing…" Nova smiled and waved to Evan at the Slythering table, where he and his creepy friends were all staring daggers at her, Lisa and Mary. "HEY NUMBSKULLS, TAKE A PICTURE, IT'LL LAST LONGER!", she hollered across the Hall, drawing several glares. Mary and Lisa laughed, and Nova knew that she had made a friend for life.

"Yo, Nova! I heard they released you from the funny farm!", came a familiar voice from behind them. Nova spun around on the bench and glared at the interloper, who was of course, Will. His blond highlights were gelled as ever, and the smirk on his face spoke wonders for his confidence as he intentionally annoyed the girl who had taken out half of her Potions class. Nova sighed and budged up, making room on the bench, where Will flopped down. The four of them ate their way through dinner steadily, having competitions to see who could hit Frank Longbottom on the nose with a carrot first. After several misses and glares from the casualties, Will finally got Frank square on the nose. Frank spun around to see who had thrown the vegetable, and Will ducked down behind Nova. Seeing no culprit, Frank went back to his dinner, leaving the foursome snorting into their gravy at the look on the Third year Gryffindor's face.

The evening was complete when Rgeulus, having finished his dinner, came and sat with them and prevented Will from throwing peas at a burly Seventh year. They were all having a great time, laughing as Nova switched forms again and again, until her left forearm hit off the table and she winced. Will, Mary and Lisa froze in shock and horror, but it was Will who gathered the courage to speak first. "So you-you do have the Mark, then?", he stuttered shakily. Regulus was very interested in the table all of a sudden, but Nova knew that he was remembering their very first encounter, the recruiting visit to the House of Black. Nova hung her head in shame, she had not expected that it was such common knowledge that the Dark Mark was branded onto a Death Eater's left forearm. Mary spoke then. "So you are a Death Eater and you probably want to kill me now, just because I'm a Muggleborn. You filthy, lying, disgusting-" Nova was unable to take it anymore.

"ITS NOT LIKE THAT!", she screamed, ignoring the stares. Her three friends didn't make a sound, chalky-white with fear. Of her. Nova got up from the Gryffindor table and turned to go. "Meet me at the top of the North Tower at eight. I promise I can explain everything, and that it is not what it seems." With that, she ran from the Great Hall, through the crowded halls and corridors, ignoring the mocking calls from Peeves the poltergeist. It was only when she had shut herself into a broom cupboard on the fourth floor corridor that she finally let herself cry.


	5. Aches and Explainations

When a clock in the hallway chimed eight, Nova emerged from the broom cupboard, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her robes. Then she fixed her hair, pulling it back into a messy ponytail with an elastic band. Concentrating hard, she morphed away the redness around her brilliant silver eyes and stomped down the corridor, angry at the world in general. Preoccupied with thoughts of her friends, Nova walked straight into the statue of Barnabus the Barmy on the fourth floor corridor. She hit the solid stone structure hard, hitting her forehead and bouncing off it onto the floor, smashing the back of her head on the stone floor so hard she heard something crack. Her entire head seemed as though it would burst with the searing pain lancing through it, as bad if not worse than the Cruciatus Curse.

Nova thought that she would pass out, and did her best not to cry. Now Reg, Lisa, Will and Mary would all think she had ditched them, trying to get them caught out of bed after curfew. She would lose the last four friends she had, and all she would have left would be Evan, not that he really counted. A burst of white-hot pain shot through her whole body, and Nova broke her promise to herself and cried out in agony. The pain lanced through her again and again, leaving her shaking and thrashing and whimpering. Her left wrist pounded on the stone floor, and Nova heard the sickening crunch of her wrist-bone. She must have damaged something badly, and she was terrified. Every other time she had been hurt or injured, like the scars, cuts and slashes up her arms, it had been bad, but never this overwhelming, never before had she been so sure that she might die or seriously damage herself. It was a very scary prospect for an eleven year old.

Just as the pain was spreading through her body like fire and her vision started to get blurry, Nova heard several voices and footsteps coming down the corridor. She let out an agonized cry, desperate for help. She heard the patter of feet as the people came running, looking for the source of the noise. "Oh my God!" Nova thought that the voice must be Lily, as she could see the distinctive red hair out of the corner of her eye. "Nova, are you okay? Can you hear me?! Oh my God!" Then more voices. "Ssh, Lily, we have to get her to Pomfrey! Come on, you and Alice take her head, Em and I'll take her legs." It must be Marlene speaking, Nova thought distantly, thrashing around trying to get rid of the god awful agony. The four girls tried to grasp Nova's shoulders and ankles, but were unable to get a hold of her.

The clock in the hall chimed again: half past eight. Nova was late, her friends would be gone, and she probably had brain damage. The thought of the look of betrayal crossing her four best friends' faces that finally made her snap, sending hot salty tears down her cheeks. Then she heard Lily's voice again. "Sssh, Nova, please, _please_, stop thrashing and we'll try and get you to the Hospital Wing!" At the thought of returning to the Hospital Wing, and the sniggers that would follow her around the castle like wildfire, as they had that day, Nova thrashed harder. They would all think that she was weak, as well as stupid, and the Dark Lord would find out, and she would feel this pain again, a million times over. Her wrist hit the floor again, feeling as though a million boiling needles were piercing her flesh. Lily and Alice were crying with desperation by now, and even the normally collected Em and Marlene seemed to be panicking.

Slowly Nova's vision cleared, and the pain subsided by the barest fraction. She opened her eyes, marveling at the huge amount of strength it took to perform that tiny basic task. None of the four girls were looking at her, all freaking out at various noise levels. Slowly and painfully, Nova hauled herself first to her knees, and then to her feet. Four pairs of eyes fell on her, widening. When Nova started to stumble down the corridor, clinging onto the torch handles on the walls, they finally snapped out of it and ran after her. "What the hell are you doing?", screeched Marlene. Nova grimaced as a bolt of pain shot through her wrist. She answered without turning around or stopping. "North Tower, I'm late. Thanks and all."

"No, no, no, Nova, you can't!", squealed Alice. They seemed to have forgotten all about their fear of her, thought Nova scornfully. Then again, maybe they could go back to being like they had been that first night… teasing and pillow-fights and gossip… if she had the chance to explain. If they were to be expected to sleep in the same dorm as a Death Eater for the next six years, they deserved an explanation. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, she turned around. "I'm going one way or another, so you have two choices. You can go back to your dorms before curfew and pretend this never happened, or come with me to the North Tower. I've got some explaining to do to some friends, and you're all welcome to join in. What's it to be?" Lily, Alice, Marlene and Em exchanged looks before nodding slowly and sighing. Marlene and Em each took one of Nova's elbows and led her to the staircase to the North Tower, Lily and Alice close behind.

X

Nova and the girls climbed the stairs slowly, trying to keep Nova upright. She could feel Lily's concerned stare burning a hole in her back, which was already wracked with pain. When they reached the landing halfway up the stairs, they heard the babble of four boys' voices that seemed achingly familiar. Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew raced down the stairs, coming ever closer. The girls stood on the landing, frozen in horror. Too late, they turned to go back down the stairs, but the Marauders were already coming down the last few steps, bringing the girls into their line of sight. Sirius Black was the first to spot them, rubbing his hands together with an evil glint in his eye.

"Hey, Sirus, come on Filch-", James Potter abruptly stopped speaking when he ran into Sirius' back, the other two imitating him. James stepped out onto the landing and looked over at the five horrorstruck girls, eyes lighting up when he saw Lily. "Hey Evans, wanna go-" Lily cut him off, looking furious. "I WILL NEVER GO OUT WITH YOU, POTTER! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, AND NEVER! GET THAT THROUGH YOUR THICK BLOODY SKULL AND LEAVE ME ALONE!", she screamed. James looked shocked and even a little upset for the barest second, then he was back to his usual cocky self, ruffling up his thick black hair. "You'll come round, Evans", he stated with a megawatt smile. Nova thought smoke might actually come out of Lily's ears. Then Remus was tapping Sirius on the shoulder urgently. "_Filch_", he hissed, "Come _on!" _In that moment, Nova made a split-second decision she'd look back on for the rest of her life.

"Come on, boys, girls, North Tower now!", she hissed, stumbling forward towards the stairs the Marauders had come from. She could almost feel the looks of concern, but it was _not_ the time. Nova turned around and beckoned them on urgently, and finally they obeyed. The nine of them emerged onto the North Tower, panting. Nova felt like she was under the Cruciatus Curse again, but was determined not to show it. "_What the hell?", _hissed Sirius aggressively. Then Regulus Black stepped out of the shadows that filled the top of the Tower, shortly followed by Will, Lisa and Mary, all three of whom seemed slightly wary. Reg was the only one who wasn't a bit afraid, for which Nova knew she would be eternally grateful.

Sirius absolutely exploded when he saw his hated younger brother. He turned to Nova, steam practically blowing out of his ears. "_What_", he hissed, "_Is_ that _doing here?_", he hissed, jerking his head in Reg's direction. A muscle tightened subtly in Reg's jaw, but he showed no ther reaction and kept staring straight ahead. His older brother, however, didn't know the meaning of the word subtle. Sirius launched himself at Reg, screaming bloody murder. Potter, Pettigrew and Lupin didn't even try and stop him. The girls all looked horrified, although Nova thought that she saw the briefest of smirks cross Em's face. Nova didn't see what could possibly be funny about the whole situation, but as another rush of pain lanced through her and she fell to the floor, she realized that it was out of her control.

Reg raised his fist and swung it at his brother, who ducked and landed a kick on Reg's shinbone. Nova fell onto her back with a thump, pain flaring up everywhere, as blood began to flow yet again from the gash she had gotten on the back of her head. She started to thrash around on the cold stone. "OH MY GOD, _NOVA!", _Will screamed, running towards her. Mary, Lisa, Em and Marlene, threw themselves in between the two warring Black brothers, while Lily and Alice ran to Nova's aid with Will. James, Remus and Peter also attempted to help Nova, but when James saw Reg try to get around Marlene to land a punch on Sirius' nose, he charged off to help his best friend. Nova's thrashing slowed, and her vision started to blur at the edges.

Sirius and Regulus continued to attempt to attack each other, James loyally defending Sirius. Mary, Lisa, Em and Marlene were no use against two adrenaline-filled eleven and twelve-year old boys. Reg was aiming for Sirius' face when Nova left out a blood-curdling scream. His head snapped up and his eyes fell on the girl who, in just a few short days, had become his best friend. "_SIRIUS!"_, he yelled out, gesturing wildly towards Nova's thrashing form. Sirius grunted and swung a right hook at Reg, catching him on the cheek then bringing up his leg to kick his younger brother where the sun don't shine. Then he turned and sprinted towards the others, leaving Reg gasping and spluttering on the ground, Mary, Lisa, Em and Marlene fluttering around him like birds to grain.

Sirius knelt down beside Nova and pushed her dark hair off her damp forehead, seemingly looking for something. When he did not find it he flipped her over, gesturing to a puzzled Will and Alice to hold her shoulders, so that she lay in the push-up position. Then he ran his hands down the crease of her hair, spreading his fingers over her scalp and prodding gently. Over on the flagstones by the Tower wall, Regulus recovered and clambered to his feet, aided by the girls. He ran over to Nova, shoving Lily and Sirius aside. Sirius' face went white with rage, and Lily's was the same flaming colour as her hair. James Potter broke away from the girls on the other side of the Tower and ran to his best friend, looking murderous. Lupin stepped out in front of him, hands outstretched, looking wary. James refused to stop when he saw Lupin, and the two boys collided and fell to the ground with a crash. James leapt up immediately and ran to Sirius, who was glaring murderously at his brother, who had taken his place running his fingers over Nova's scalp. Marlene, Em, Mary, Lisa and Peter ran over to where Lupin lay on the stone, groaning.

Reg's fingers were at the base of Nova's scalp near the nape of her neck when Sirius jumped onto his back, pulling him backwards away from Nova. At the same time Jamesrugby-tackled Regulus' legs, preventing him from kicking out. Will and Alice jumped back in shock, accidentally letting go of Nova. Lily cried out in horror as the three of them watched Nova fell and smack her head of the stone floor with a sickening crack. Sirius, Regulus, James, Peter, Em, Marlene, Mary and Lisa all froze. Even Lupin stopped his groaning, and twisted himself around to face Nova, face white.

Consciousness raced back to Nova and hit her with a bang, the pain hitting her like a white-hot blade through the head. Jerking upwards she screamed, only dimly registering the white faces of her friends. She had no memory of anything, only pain. It could only be the Dark Lord. Howling with pain that she desperately had to get rid of, she scrabbled about in her robes for her wand. That would get rid of _him, _that would make it stop. With a rush of relief she found her wand and clasped it by the handle, cool and smooth. With a bloodcurdling howl of agony, she pointed the wand out in front of her and yelled out, "_STUPIFY!"_

The bolt of red light shot out of the end of her wand, presumably finding its target, but the agony did not stop. Then warm hands, strong hands, were on her shoulders, forcing her onto her stomach, pulling the wand from her grasp. And Nova fought, she kicked and hit out, screaming bloody murder. She heard a groan and smiled viciously. Then someone was on top of her, pressing her body into the cold stone, while two sets of fingers combed through her burning scalp. She bucked and kicked and thrashed, struggling desperately. They were going to kill her, if the pain didn't first! She was struggling to stay awake, fighting the oncoming swirling blackness.

Then a familiar calm voice was whispering into her ear, cool breath hitting her neck. "Sssh, Nova, its Reg, you're gonna be okay. You hit your head, we think that you cracked your skull, maybe fractured your wrist and a couple of ribs. If you just stop struggling, we can get you out of here and take you to Pomfrey. She can make it stop. Sssh.."

The pain didn't lessen, but Nova felt safer somehow, knowing that it wasn't Voldemort torturing her, knowing that somewhere, someplace, there was someone who could stop the agony. So with a great shuddering breath and great strength of mind, Nova clenched her muscles and willed herself to stop thrashing. Fire blazed through her veins as she lay still on the cool flagstones, for the first time feeling the wind's cold breath on the back of her neck. She heard many shuddering breaths surround her, then several sets of hands slid under her, swinging her up into someone's arms. The person smelled of musk and anger and the hot breath of a flame, and could really only be one person. Sirius Black. Cool hands were rubbing gentle circles on her hanging palm, trying to stop the fire. Cool mint and vanilla. Reg.

They seemed to be turning forever, walking down the old stone steps, until they finally reached the bottom. Nova tried to open her eyes, but the lead lids refused to lift. She could hear Lily and Alice's hysterics, Em and Marlene's fretting, Mary and Lisa crying, Will, James and Peter supporting a groaning Remus. She tuned it all out until it was no more than an indistinct buzzing in the background, focusing on the calming rise and fall of Sirius' chest and the soothing cool circles Reg was rubbing on her palm. "Sssh, Nova", came the calm voice again, "We're almost at the Hospital Wing."

Suddenly the pain took a back seat and Nova bolted upright and slithered right out of a shocked Sirius' arms. Reg's thumb flew away from her palm as she staggered upright, falling against the wall as her stubborn eyes finally opened. She leaned against the wall, taking in great shuddering breaths and trying not to see the horror and pity in the eyes of the others. Then she shook her head, ignoring the blt of pain that accompanied the action. "No", panted Nova, "I can't. I'm fine, I'm alright, but I can't go to the Hospital Wing, and I can't say why either." She couldn't tell them that the real reason she didn't want to stay away from the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomfrey. If she continued to get hurt, Professor Dumbledore would think she was weak and would no longer allow her to play any part in his plan. She would think she herself was weak. No, she would bear the pain, just as her parents had in their final moments, tortured without mercy with the Cruciatus Curse. She would clench her jaw, stiffen her spine, and hold her head high. What was it anyway, a crack on the head, and a bruised wrist? Nothing! Nova almost laughed at her earlier foolishness. She could take the pain, she had taken it before. The others wouldn't understand, and she still had to explain herself. The Marauders might as well listen in. Maybe they'd spread the word.

Staggering down the corridor, Nova beckoned her shocked friends after her until she found an empty classroom. Breathing deep and fast, she pulled the door open and stumbled inside, lights flashing and bursting before her eyes like fireworks. With great effort she pulled herself onto a table and beckoned to the others to be seated. Lily spoke out first. "Nova, you have to go to the Hospital Wing. This is serious!" A chorus of agreements sounded out from the others, but Nova ignored it. "I can and will Stun you all, so shut up and listen. I can decide for myself what I need to do." Silence reigned and Lily looked defeated, resigned. Nova took a deep breath and began.

"When I was four years old, the Death Eaters came for my parents. My father was quite well-known actually, a Legilmens and Occulmens. I know for a fact that he was a Parseltongue as well, although no-one apart from the three of us knew. Liam Loyal, a popular and skilled Auror, strong and good. He surprised everyone, really. He had been Sorted into Slytherin, so nobody expected him to be so against the Dark Arts. No offense, Reg. My mother was the same, although they say I'm more like my father. She was smart and beautiful, a Metamorphagus and Auror, from Ravenclaw House. Both of my parents were pure-blooded wizards, and no Mary, they weren't pure-blood supremacists or anything. I don't give two shits about anybody's blood status, and I come from a long line of Pureblooded wizards who didn't give two shits either. I guess the Dark Lord, who you may not have heard of yet, but soon shall, thought that my father especially, could be convinced, and sent his Death Eaters after us. They didn't even know that I existed, but when my parents, highly gifted duelists, were finally killed and I was all that was left, a combination of both of their magical abilities, they took me instead. I was given a choice, but it wasn't really a choice at all. Life or death, the Dark Lord said. Join me or die. I was four years old, I chose life. I don't agree with them, I don't like his ideas, but I'm more use to the Wizarding World alive than dead, and alive is how I intend to stay. However, I am _not_ like _him_, and I _never_ will be."

Nova took a deep breath after her long speech and dared herself to look up at the others. Sirius and the other Marauders were totally shell-shocked, while Lily and her other dorm-mates looked sympathetic and horrified. But Will, Lisa, Mary and Reg, while Nova could still sense their sympathy, but also their acceptance and understanding. She could sense Reg's silent promise, however, that he would whisk her off to the Hospital Wing at the first sign that she was in pain. She could live with that. Pity was the last emotion Nova had wanted to see, she needed no-one's pity. Still, at least they no longer believed that she was a super-evil Dark Wizard sent here to murder them all in their sleep. Anything from _that_ was a step up.

Then Alice was in front of her, delicate hand resting on Nova's shoulder, sympathy burning in her bright green eyes. "Nova-", she began. But Nova was already up and halfway to the door, doing her best not to limp or stumble. Then she walked out the door without looking back, afraid of what she might see. When she was halfway down the corridor, a grandfather clock chimed out ten o'clock, well past curfew. With a rush of panic, Nova thought of her friends, and prayed that they would not be caught out of bed and punished on her account. She could only hope that the Marauders were quick thinkers.

Stumbling down the hall, Nova's foot came into contact with something warm and furry. With a very loud swear word, she crashed to the ground, landing on her already badly bruised side with a loud crash, as she watched. "Student out of bed, eh, my dear?", came a deep, craggy old voice. Nova tried desperately to scramble to her feet, but her legs would not cooperate. Pulling herself up into a sitting position with difficulty, she used her momentum to launch herself up and grasp an iron torch holder. The craggy old voice sounded out again, closer. Nova became more and more desperate, yanking on the torch holder as she tried to get up. "Potter and Black again is it, my dear? Oooh, its been too long!" At the creepy sound of anticipation in the craggy voice Nova shivered and tugged harder on the torch holder, praying that it would work.

Then again, luck had never really been on Nova's side. The owner of the creepy, craggy voice was almost around the corner, as indicated by the heavy footsteps. Nova pulled on the torch holder one more time, praying. Then with a great groan and an ominous creak, the iron torch holder detached itself from the stone wall. Old and heavy, it fell fast, and Nova had only time to watch in horror as it plummeted down towards her foot. Just as the footsteps turned the corner the torch holder struck Nova's ankle so hard it felt as though the bone must shatter. Nova's pain threshold had been pushed to the limit and back already that night, and in that moment, it snapped. "MY MOTHERFUCKING ANKLE! STUPID, BLOODY MOTHERFUCKING TORCH HOLDER! STUPID MOTHERFUCKING STATUES! AND ABOVE ALL- STUPID MOTHERFUCKING, SHITTY-ASS BARNABUS THE BARMY!"

Silence reigned in the corridor. Filled with dread, Nova turned her head. The school caretaker, hunched, rheumatic form swamped in a mouldy brown coat, stood about ten feet away. He had obviously heard everything that Nova had just said, judging by how wide his bulging dirty-yellow lamp-like eyes were. He didn't even seem to notice the fact that Nova had probably broken her ankle, or maybe he just didn't care. A moment later, he had recovered and was pulling Nova out from under the torch holder and onto her feet. Before she even knew what was going on, she was being dragged down the hall by the back of her robes.

Every yard that she was dragged made the pain in her ankle and head intensify a million times over. It didn't even seem to register with the caretaker, who seemed rather disappointed about something. Ten agonizing minutes later, he stopped outside a small shabby-looking wooden door with a small plaque reading '_Argus Filch, Caretaker'_. Thus Nova could only assume that the odious hunchback who was now dragging her through the door into his tiny cramped office was Argus Filch. Throwing her into a creaky wooden chair, Filch took a seat grandly behind an ancient-looking wooden desk with several visible chips of wood missing, carved out in the shape of animal claw marks. The animal in question, a scrawny disgusting-looking cat leapt onto Filch's shoulder. He turned and tickled the animal under its chin. "Good girl, Mrs Norris, good girl!", he crooned to the cat for at least five minutes. Nova squirmed around in her chair, grimacing uncomfortably as Filch actually _kissed _his cat. Wasn't that _illegal?!_

Finally Filch turned back to Nova, who was grimacing both in agony and discomfort. "So, you think you can just go wandering around my corridors at ten o'clock at night? Do you? What age are you?" Nova smirked. "Eleven, twelve soon though." "Aha! You're up past your curfew, first year! Oh how I hate you impertinent, ignorant little-" Nova leapt up out of her chair and started to shake with anger. "I'm a _second year!" _Filch stopped his tirade right in its tracks with a shocked and furious look. "HOW DARE YOU INTERRUPT ME YOU STUPID IMPERTINENT LITTLE WRETCH! HOW I WISH DUMBLEDORE WOULD BRING BACK THE OLD PUNISHMENTS, SO THAT I COULD SPEND MY DAYS HANGING STUPID LITTLE IDIOTS OFF HIGH CEILINGS WITH CHAINS BY THE ANKLES!", hollered Filch at the top of his awful voice. Nova felt like she would actually burst out of her skin with anger.

Thinking back on it, it probably wasn't the best course of action. Nova drew her wand, hand shaking, and pointed it at Filch, who immediately froze. "Now", stated Nova levelly, "You're going to shut up, and listen to me. I'm going to walk out that door and I'm going to go back to my dorm. If you let me leave, I'll go straight to bed without making any little _detours_. If you choose to keep me here, I can make you regret it." With that, Nova stormed out of the tiny office, slamming the door on her way out.

Later, in bed next to her sleeping dorm-mates, Nova thought back over her day. Every inch of her body ached, half of First and Second Year thought she was a head case, and Argus Filch was probably going to have her thrown out of Hogwarts. The only plus side to her entire day was that her friends, and a few others, now knew the truth. The only thing that put a smile on her face was the memory of a certain poster she had seen in the Common Room. Quidditch tryouts the next day, hmm…. Well, Nova mused, thinking of the top-of-the-range racing broom in her trunk, maybe she give it a try…


	6. Quidditch and Swimming

Nova yawned loudly, slouching on the bench of the Gryffindor House table. She had gotten up at five o' clock that morning, and since she had not found her way back to Gryffindor Tower the previous night until about eleven, she had gotten about five hours of sleep, not quite enough to recover from what was basically a full-body bruise, possibly-fractured wrist and definitely cracked skull. She had thought about trying out a healing spell, but Nova didn't know any, as it wasn't exactly the Dark Lord's kind of thing to teach to young children. So Nova was stuck with her injuries until they healed.

Well, anyway, she had gotten up at five to avoid the others, and it had sounded much better in theory. Now she was sore _and_ tired. On the bright side, thought Nova, Quidditch tryouts for the Gryffindor team were being held that afternoon, as it was a Saturday. Nova wasn't sure if she'd make the team or if she'd even manage to stay on her broomstick, but shed missed flying so much. If worst came to worst, at least shed have had a fun afternoon.

Forcing the last spoonful of gloopy porridge between her lips, Nova pulled herself up and hobbled out of the hall. There had only been three other people in there: a tiny scared-looking boy that looked about eight but had to be in First year, at least, sitting; a dark-haired broody Slytherin, who looked as though he were trying to kill his cereal by eye contact alone; and a pretty girl wearing huge glasses, reading an enormous textbook at the Hufflepuff table. Nova wondered how someone so studious hadn't ended up in Ravenclaw. Dragging along her aching right leg slightly, Nova limped to the castle doors when she remembered something.

Raising her wand with a grin, Nova muttered, "_Accio Broom!" _Nova's treasure, state-of-the-art broom came whizzing down the stairs, hitting a confused looking little Flitwick, who jumped about ten feet into the air. Nova started spluttering with laughter and immediately jumped behind the giant doorframe to hide from a puzzled-looking Flitwick. Still, laughing, Nova stumbled out to the Quidditch pitch.

It was a misty morning, and the six giant golden hoops rose up as if out of nowhere. Nova's jaw dropped with awe, the first proper Quidditch field she had ever seen appeared before her. Tall stands hung with the banners of each of the four Houses, emerald green grass, and those majestic golden hoops. With a whoop of joy, Nova leapt onto her broom and kicked off, ignoring the jolt of pain that accompanied the action. She zoomed upwards into the sky, bent right down over the broom as the wind whipped against her face and tossed her dark hair every which way. Giggling with delight, Nova took off towards the giant hoops, twisting and looping through them in a figure of eight, rolling 180 degrees until she hung upside down by the ankles, laughing uncontrollably and swinging herself forwards and backwards, hair hitting her in the face and going into her mouth as she laughed.

Swinging herself back up, Nova took off again, looping around to speed under the hollow spaces beneath the stands upside down, skimming the undersides of the planks with her fingers as she hurtled by. Whooping non-stop Nova cleared the stands and shot straight up into the morning sky, on top of the world.

About a quarter of Gryffindor House came trailing out onto the pitch at twelve o' clock, dragging brooms behind them, a tall, well-built boy with floppy red-brown hair in the lead. Sirius, James, Sirius and Remus were near the front of the crowd, although only Sirius and James had brooms with them. Em and Marlene were also in the crowd, but it was clear to everyone there that the two girls were only there in case Robert Wood, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and the boy leading the crowd onto the pitch, flashed the perfect eight-pack he was rumored to have. Very few girls had turned up to actually try out for the team, most were just there to swoon over a possible glimpse of the popular sixth year.

Nova was still looping through the air, oblivious to the scene below her, and performed a series of complicated loops, twists and dives. Letting out whoops of joy and peals of laughter, she attracted the attention of the crowd below.

"Blimey", murmured Wood, gaze fixed on the small, slight girl flying gracefully as a bird through the air. A crazed look in his eye, he turned and saw Sirius and James, who had elbowed their way to the front of the crowd and now watched Nova loop in the sky with awe. "Who is she? Is she trying out?", asked Wood urgently of the two boys. James answered. "Nova Loyal, she's new. Second year. And yeah, I think so." With a delighted clap that made half of the adoring girls choke with laughter, Wood grabbed a magical megaphone. "ALL STUDENTS TRYING OUT FOR THE GRYFFINDOR QUIDDITCH TEAM PLEASE ASSEMBLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PITCH. ALL OBSERVERS, PLEASE STAY IN THE STANDS AND OUT OF THE WAY."

Nova almost fell off her broom in shock, but quickly recovered, not sure how much of it they'd all seen. Shaking it off, she flew down to the centre of the pitch and made a perfect landing, wincing at the pain in her wrist and head as she did so. Ignoring a clamoring Sirius and James, Nova joined the crowd of hopefuls.

Within a minute, Wood had them organized into groups: Chasers, Beaters, Keepers and Seekers. Grinning, Nova stood with the Seekers and checked out her competition. Sirius stood with the Beaters, glaring at Nova. She simply pretended not to see and looked for James. She found him standing with the Chasers, also glaring at her. Nova then decided that the clouds were taking very interesting shapes and looked up at them instead while Wood finished organizing the tryouts.

Chasers were up first: James, looking confident to the point of cockiness; a huge, troll-like boy who looked as though he would be better suited trying out for Beater; a small girl who was probably in third of fourth year; a tall handsome blond boy with a cheeky grin reminiscent of Will's; an older sullen girl that had to be in at least sixth year; and a short burly boy, looking very determined he seemed constipated. Wood called out the list of Chasers and Nova listened eagerly. There was James, of course; Andy McLaggen, the troll child; Lucy Spinnet, the small girl; Jared Bell, the handsome cheeky blond boy; Melanie Kirke, the older sullen girl; and Martin Robins, the short, chubby, constipated boy. These were Wood's final six, deemed the ones with the most potential. Sirius gave James a quick thumbs-up.

Then they were in the air, and Nova could not deny that they were good. James may have been cocky, but talent he had in abundance. The boy could _fly! _Wood soon had them shooting on the goals on him, as he played Keeper. They each had five shots. James, up first, scored an amazing five out of five. McLaggen was next, almost as good with four. Spinnet scored four as well, Kirke a very acceptable three, and Robins a rather meager two. Jared Bell was last, and Nova noticed that every single girl in the stands started to drool as he flexed his biceps, preparing for the shots. He scored a five, the only one apart from James. Wood was a good Keeper too, so it was no easy feat.

When they were all back on the ground, Wood called the Beaters. James winked at Sirius and turned to look for Nova, who had burrowed deeper into the group of Seekers, hiding behind a very tall boy. The Beaters were ordered to see how many Bludgers they could get through the hoops in five shots from halfway down the pitch. In comparison to the Chasers' task, this one seemed almost impossible, as there were only two available positions, as opposed to the three Chasers needed.

There were four up for the position of Beater: Sirius, running a hand through his shaggy black hair and winking at a group of giggling girls in the stands; Patrick Johnson, a good-looking, dark-haired boy in about fifth year; Pete Sloper, a short boy who couldn't be older than fourth year; and the only girl, Annie Harvey, a pretty fourth year with long curly dark hair. Johnson went first, scoring an admirable three out of five. He was followed by Sloper on three as well, Harvey at five, and Sirius at four. All three boys looked extremely irritated at having been beaten by a girl, and such a small one as well, a fourteen-year-old.

As the Keeper's position was already filled by Wood, the Seekers were last. There were only three of them up for the position: Nova, hoping that she could catch the Snitch in her left hand, as her right wrist was throbbing along with her head and ankle; Bobby West, a tiny but impressive fifth year; and Lewis Andrews, a well-built, handsome seventh year.

Wood called them to the middle of the pitch, where they hovered in mid-air. "Alright", he said, "Ye're the last, so we won't make it too long. The first to catch the snitch gets the position. However I still need a Reserve Seeker, so its not all bad if you don't get it. 'Kay, wait five minutes 'til I say go." With that Wood opened his gloved hand and released the tiny Golden Snitch. The tiny winged golden ball hovered there for a minute before zipping off at top speed. Nova and the others tried to keep track of its location, but it was impossible.

Nova was scanning the skies for a glint of gold when she heard the sudden shout. "GO!" With a started Nova flew off after West and Andrews. Looping around the pitch, Nova tried in vain to catch a glimpse of the elusive snitch, but it was nowhere to be seen. It seemed that Bobby and Lewis were having the same bad luck. Nova flew gracefully up and down the pitch, eyes peeled, praying that she would at least get the position of Reserve Seeker. Bobby West was grid-searching and Lewis Andrews drifting up and down the pitch aimlessly hoping to get lucky.

Slaloming through the hoops at the north end of the pitch, Nova's keen silver eyes scrutinized every inch of air. She was at least thirty feet in the air when she spotted it: the elusive glint of gold, flitting around the goalposts, no more than a foot off the ground. Nova heard cheering and looked down only to see a determined Bobby West bearing down on the snitch. He was getting closer and closer, and Nova made her decision. It was now or never.

Pulling up her broomstick and pointing it straight down, Nova pulled into a steep dive. The crowd in the stands roared in anticipation; Bobby was now only a few feet away, and Nova's broom wasn't moving fast enough. It was time to decide just how much she wanted this. Ten feet from the ground, Nova offered up a quick prayer and let go of her broom, free-falling straight down, faster and faster. Several people in the crowd screamed, many Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs included. Ground rushing up to meet her, Nova reached out for the snitch with both hands and caught it, hard unforgiving ground rushing up to meet her.

The noise of the crowd and the shouts of Wood and other concerned individuals were mere background noise, as Nova clenched her jaw and braced herself, snitch held into her chest. Eyes shut tightly, Nova hit the ground with a crash that knocked the breath out of her. She fell on her right side and rolled, feeling every aching bone and muscle scream in protest at the movement. Although she felt her injured wrist crack, ankle possibly chip and head burn, the roll worked for the most part and she gained no other injuries apart from a sharp pain in a few ribs, relatively nothing. For a moment, there was total silence, but then a great cheer erupted from the stands. Nova struggled up into a sitting position, leaning against a goalpost, the fluttering snitch tight in one fist, other hand clutching her throbbing ankle. Her dark hair was stuck to her forehead with a sheen of sweat, face pale with pain making the freckles stand out like beacons. Yet looking down at the struggling snitch she held tightly, she still managed to grin.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE PLAYING AT?", bellowed Sirius furiously, leaping the barrier that separated the stands and the pitch, and running towards Nova, James, Remus and Peter right behind him. Further to the right and having used the gate, Lily, Alice, Marlene and Em made their way over as well. At yet another stand gate, Wood, Will, Mary and Lisa were all trying to get out at once through the gate that was really only made for one person, not one sixth year and three first years. As Nova watched they all gave one last push and al fell out onto the pitch, immediately getting to their feet. Nova burst out laughing and immediately bent over clutching at her injured ribs, groaning. Sirius, Lily and lice were the first to reach her, pulling her to her feet.

Wood skidded to a halt in front of a propped-up and grinning Nova. "That was bloody _brilliant, _Loyal! Blimey, you've made the team for sure, don't see how I can keep you off of it!" Sirius' stormy grey eyes bored into Wood's, who turned and left nervously, calling over those who had tried out. "Totally worth it!", muttered Nova under her breath with a grin. All of her friends glared. Sirius was the one who spoke first, putting a hand over a furious Lisa's mouth to stop her from speaking. "What the _fuck_ are you playing at, Loyal?! Your head's cracked open, wrist and ankle done in, and by the looks of it your ribs are going the same way! You won't let us take you to Pomfrey, then you try out for Quidditch and do a stupid thing like _that! _How _fucking stupid _do you have to be, Loyal!?"

Nova was taken aback, who would have guessed that Sirius cared that much? Maybe he was just pissed off, PMS or something. Pissy Man Syndrome! She almost snorted at that thought. Daring to look up, she realized that although they were all still glaring at her, they seemed to have nothing more to say. Sirius seemed to have said it all. Then Will sighed and broke out a huge grin. "God, Nova, that was amazing! I'm almost afraid to watch us playing ye!" Nova grinned back at him, and slowly the others started to smile too. Even Sirius murmured a congratulations in her ear under his breath. The they were dragging her over to where Wood stood with the rest of those who had tried out. All of them except Sirius and James left for lunch, leaving them to Wood's decision.

Robert Wood stood tall, enjoying the attention perhaps a little too much, and cleared his throat. "Well done to all, ye all flew very well today. Sadly only six of ye will make the team, so without further ado, may I present to you all the new Gryffindor Quidditch team! Keeper: me. Chasers: Jared Bell, Lucy Spinnet and James Potter. Beaters: Annie Harvey and Sirius Black. Seeker: Nova Loyal. Reserve Keeper is Frank Longbottom, same as last year. Reserve Chaser is Andy McLaggen, Reserve Beater Patrick Johnson, and Reserve Seeker Bobby West. Well done to all who made it, and to those who didn't: come back next year! Okay, training is tomorrow at ten…."

But Wood was cut off abruptly as a huge cheer rang out and the members of the team hugged each other. "WE MADE THE TEAM, WE MADE THE TEAM, WE MADE THE TEAM, YEAH", yelled Sirius, James and Nova, Nova hanging off of the boys as she was unable to stand. Sirius and James walked off the pitch, dragging Nova along with them. "WE MADE THE TEAM, WE MADE THE TEAM, WE MADE THE TEAM, YEAH!"

They made their way into the Great Hall for lunch, drunk on excitement. "WE MADE THE TEAM, WE MADE THE TEAM, WE MADE THE TEAM, YEAH!", they all hollered, turning heads everywhere including at the staff table. McGonagall did _not_ look pleased. "We'll just leave you here, Nova, if you're sure you're ok?", asked James. Nova nodded with a huge grin. "Yeah, congrats lads, ye flew great!" The two boys left Nova leaning against the doorframe and ran off to find Remus and Peter and their next victim.

Nova was leaning there, grinning, when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Made the team, eh? And by the look of it, not entirely in one piece, hmm?" Nova jumped and turned around, wincing and clutching at her ribs. Evan Rosier was kneeling on the doorframe a few inches away, smirking. Nova stuck up her middle finger. "Fuck _off_, Ev! I only crashed on the pitch, not threw myself off the North Tower!" Evan looked shocked for the briefest of seconds, before it flashed to first concern and then cold fury. "Black and Potter brought you in, right? And correct me if I'm wrong, they were there when you crashed as well? And they didn't bring you to the Hospital Wing?!"

Nova could sense the waves of fury and danger rolling off of Evan, and knew from experience that he was about to blow. Thinking too fast she took a step backwards, only to realize that she had used her injured ankle. She would have crumpled to the floor if Evan hadn't grabbed her arm tightly. Then he threw an arm under both of hers and lifted her into his arms, bridal style. All of Nova's protests fell on deaf ears, Evan was too strong and too pissed off. She had always known that the boy was strong, but he had to have some serious muscle if he could keep a struggling, albeit injured, girl in his arms.

"PUT ME DOWN, EV, PUT ME DOWN, PUT ME _DOWN!", _Nova roared, cradling her sore wrist, tucking in her injured ankle. Evan pushed through the crowds, ignoring the odd looks. Nova tried desperately to reach her wand, but couldn't get around Evan's grip. "PUT. ME. DOWN. NOW!" Evan just smirked. Looking desperately for help, Nova spotted a familiar shock of jet-black hair. "REG, HELP!" Regulus pushed through the crowd, working his way over to where Evan and Nova where.

Then Nova felt Reg's hand on Evan's shoulder, pulling at him to no avail. Eventually the eleven-year-ld gave up and threw himself in Evan's path. Nova admired his bravery- Evan looked murderous. "What is it, kid?", hissed Evan through gritted teeth. Nova guessed that the only reason Reg was still standing was the emerald-green Slytherin tie he wore under on his collar. Reg just smirked. "I want you to put my best friend down. She doesn't want to go out with you, Rosier!", he sighed dramatically. Evan growled.

Shoving Reg aside, he barged through the crowd like a bull, more determined than ever. Nova looked back over Evan's shoulder and saw Reg getting up from where he had fallen. Helped to his feet by a fellow Slytherin boy with greasy dark hair, Reg ran after them. 'Distract him, my wand's in my pocket', Nova mouthed to him. Reg nodded, running faster. When he was mere feet away he leapt forward, jumping onto Evan's back.

Evan dropped Nova and she hit the ground with a bang. Cursing and thanking Reg at the same time, Nova looked up rubbing her back. Reg was clinging onto Evan's shoulders, legs wrapped around his waist. Evan was bellowing like a bull, running around in circles and banging into walls in a desperate attempt to get Reg off his back. "GET OFF OF ME, MOTHERFUCKER!", screamed Evan. "_PIGGYBACK!"_, squealed Reg excitedly, grabbing Evan's hair as you would the reins of a horse.

Nova couldn't help it- she laughed. Everyone else in the Entrance Hall laughed too. And it only got better. Evan was running backwards into a wall, smashing Reg against it, when Professor McGonagall walked in. "What id the meaning of this?!", she thundered. Evan's eyes swelled to the size of saucers and he dropped Reg immediately. McGonagall's eyes fell on the young boy, rubbing his head on the floor, and the small girl, rubbing her back, also on the floor.

"Detention, Mr Rosier, for the two weeks in my office. You simply cannot go around bullying younger students! I shall be having words with Professor Slughorn!"

With that she left, leaving a spluttering Evan in her wake. Nova and Reg leapt up from the floor, slapping high-fives with each other and what seemed like half the school. It was perhaps at that moment that they became best friends. Unfortunately for them, McGonagall was gone and Evan Rosier also had friends.

"Now that wasn't very nice was it, Nova? Poor Evan… Only trying to help… But we aren't all as nice as Evan, are we Nova? _Hmm..?" _Avery, Mulciber, Dolohov, Yaxley and Malfoy advanced n the two, cracking their knuckles ominously. Regulus gulped. Nova fumbled desperately in her robes for her wand as the five older boys came closer and closer, wand drawn. Nova knew from experience that Malfoy and Dolohov were experts on non-verbal spells and curses. Even if the teachers found the five boys cursing Nova and Reg, they would have no proof that it actually had been them.

Finally when the boys were only a few feet away, Nova's fingers closed around the smooth polished wood of her savior. Just as Dolohov and Malfoy raised their wands to curse them, Nova bellowed out, "_PROTEGO!"_, so loudly that several people took cover, hands clamped over their ears. So strong was the force of her Shield Charm that Dolohov and Malfoy were literally blown backwards into the crowd. Avery and Mulciber jumped about ten feet into the air, landing in the arm of an unamused Yaxley. They jumped back to the ground just as quickly when they saw the look on his face.

Nova and Reg burst out laughing, turned to look at each other, and started laughing even harder. Reg was actually crying with mirth. It was only when the five bys started to recover that Nova pulled a still-laughing Reg to his feet and pulled him through the crowd, limping and hopping. After watching her blow five Slytherins halfway across the Entrance Hall, students moved out of Nova's way pretty quickly.

She and Regulus ran through the halls, ducking into a niche in the wall behind a statue when they heard Filch coming. "Potter, Black, Lupin, Pettigrew! I know you're out there…", hissed the caretaker, stomping past the statue. Nova couldn't help it- she giggled. Filch whirled around and caught a glimpse of Nova and Reg, already halfway down the hallway and moving fast. Nova could only hope that Filch didn't recognize her from the night before.

They sprinted down the hallway and out the main doors, leaving Filch in their dust, screaming curses and abuse. "Where're we going?", asked Reg, breathless with laughter as they ran out into the grounds. Nova laughed as her hair whipped around her face. "I dunno! Oh, the lake!" Nova and Reg yanked their robes over their heads as thy ran, swinging the black cloth over their heads like lassoes. Nova wished that she and Reg had worn swimsuits that morning, now they would soak their jeans and t-shirts. With a great cry of joy, that thought was forgotten as Reg reached the water first and pulled her in. "CANNONBALL!", she roared, hitting the water and sending splashes everywhere, all of Nova's injuries mysteriously forgotten.

They played in the lake all day, missing both lunch and dinner but not caring. The sun was hanging low on the horizon when they finally waded onto land, soaked to the skin but smiling. "Race you to the Castle!", shouted Reg, taking off. He was fast, Nova would give him that, but not fast enough. "IMPEDIMENTA!", yelled Nova, racing past Reg, now running at the approximate speed of a snail. "CHEATER, CHEATER, PUMPKIN-EATER!", Regulus roared, performing the counter-jinx and taking off after Nova. They burst through the doors and went their separate ways at the foot of the Grand Staircase.

"BYE REG!" "BYE NOVA!" Then Reg was off to the dungeons, Nova to Gryffindor Tower. Nova carried on, employing an odd combination of hopping and skipping to avoid using her sore ankle. It would be healed in a few days, well before Christmas. With that happy thought, Nova Loyal hopped/skipped through the portrait hole and into the Common Room, ignoring the odd looks and muffled snorts. She was happy, and could give a crap about anything else.


	7. Dueling and Friendship

**Hellooo… If anybody's reading this, don't hesitate to review. It can be anonymous or whatever I don't mind! Even just a two-word review!**

**Almost forgot! Disclaimer: I wish… but I don't own Harry Potter. ****L**

The weeks passed quickly in a blur of classes, Quidditch practices and running away from the Marauders. Five times now they had offered Nova suspicious-looking potions, and having witnessed the pranks they'd pulled on others, Nova was more than a little wary. Suffice to say that she now drank out of a hip-flask and kept the boys well away from her food.

James had proposed to Lily five more times in the middle of the Common Room. Once he had actually magnified his voice for the whole House to hear, but that had only made his scream unbearably loud when Lily had slapped him. Sirius had turned thirteen the week before, and it had been a day no one at Hogwarts would ever forget. And apparently, they did that every year for each of their birthdays. According to Lily and Alice, birthday pranks were a Marauder tradition. Sirius had woken up with completely blue skin and white back-combed hair, and had spent the day chasing after the Muggleborns who called him a Smurf. 'Smurf' was now James, Remus and Peter's name for Sirius, for whom the most distressing part of the whole incident had been the damage done to his precious hair. He was now on a new deep-conditioning regime, much to James' amusement.

Nova's injuries had healed well, and only her ankle and left wrist ever gave her any trouble. Thank God for that, most of first and second years had now stopped hassling her to give up Quidditch, something Nova had point-black refused to do. That was were she was now, actually, the Quidditch pitch at training. It was lashing rain, being the middle of winter, but that did not deter the great Robert Wood, who Nova was seriously beginning to think was possessed by the spirit of Quidditch.

Nova was looping through the players in the lashing rain, racing to find the snitch before the Reserve Seeker, Bobby West. As she scanned the air for the snitch, she looked up to see a flying black bowling ball zooming towards her head. "AAAAHHH! HOLY SHIT!", screamed Nova, rolling 180 degrees to hang upside. She felt the Bludger skim over her knuckles and she winced. Rolling back right way up she saw Sirius and Annie Harvey arguing mid-air. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CONTROL THE BLUDGER, SIRIUS, AND HIT IT AT THE CHASERS! NOT SHOW OFF FOR YOUR GIRLFRIENDS! HONESTLY, AM I THE ONLU BEATER ON THIS TEAM THAT ACTUALLY DOES THEIR JOB!" Nova, confused, looked over to the stands. Seeing a smirking Em and Marlene, who waved at her quite cheerfully before resuming their efforts to distract Sirius, Nova rolled her eyes. Further up the pitch, all of Sirius' attention was on Annie as he roared at her.

"THERE ARE _NOT_ MY GIRLFRIENDS! AND ITS NOT MY FAULT IF YOU CAN'T AIM A BLUDGER AT THE BLOODY CHASERS!" "YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" "WHINY BITCH!" Wood looked up from his post at the center hoop, missing the Quaffle as it whizzed past, much to James' delight. Wood flew over to Annie and Sirius, who were oblivious in all their fury.

Wood tried to get their attention for several minutes, getting angrier and angrier. By now everyone else had since stopped practicing and were now looking at the spectacle in the middle of the pitch. Down in the stands the two girls whooped, and Nova had to roll her eyes again. Marlene and Em were so like the Marauders, troublemakers in their own right.

It was only when Sirius and Annie lunged for each other in mid-air that Wood decided to quit the niceties and intervene, hovering in between them while James held back Sirius, Jared Bell Annie. "JUST SHUT UP ALREADY! BLACK, HARVEY, IF TE TWO OF YOU CAN'T PLAY TOGETHER THEN YOU WON'T PLAY AT ALL! UNDERSTOOD?!", Wood roared. Sirius and Annie continued to struggle with their captors. "I SAID: _UNDERSTOOD?!", _Wood roared again. This time the fighting stopped and the two nodded sullenly.

"Well then, let's continue practice. And if the two of you ever fight again, I'll throw the both of you off my team!" With that, Wood flew off and practice began again, everybody flying a little better to avoid Wood's wrath. Nova caught the familiar glint of gold hovering a few feet above the Hufflepuff stands and went for it, catching it well before Bobby, who hadn't even seen it. She released it again and gave it a five second head-start. Bobby caught sight of it and set off after I. Not to be outdone, Nova followed him, zooming over him, the tips of her toes grazing his curly hair, Nova reached down and caught the snitch just as Bobby reached for it.

Bobby frowned for the briefest of seconds, then grinned widely at Nova. "Well, I guess we both know why you're the Seeker, right?", he quipped, slapping Nova a high-five. They both descended to the ground, laughing and tossing the snitch back and forth. When they reached the ground, Wood called them all into a huddle. Nova steered well clear of Sirius and James- Sirius was in a black mood after his encounter with Annie Harvey, and James as usual was with him as they were pretty much surgically attached at the hip. Instead she stood with Lucy and Bobby, thinking that they would make a great couple. Usually Annie would have chatted with the three of them, but was in a mood comparable to Sirius'.

Wood began to speak, emphasizing his point as usual with elaborate hand gestures. "Okay guys, this is our last practice before the holidays, and I've got some guidelines for ye. Alright, I know that its Christmas, but if any of ye come back to school two times bigger than ye were leaving 'cause ye ate too many Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans, ye're off the team. Understood,?" Laughter filled the air and Wood went slightly red. "Okay, okay! OKAY! Now, no dangerous activities this time, I don't have time to hold more tryouts. And so help me if anyone on this team goes troll hunting or something stupid like that, I will personally flay you alive!" "THAT A THREAT OR A PROMISE, WOOD?", came the voice of Marlene from the stands. Immediately after speaking she ducked out of sight in a fit of giggles, and Wood was left blushing searching furiously for the person who had spoken. When he found nobody, he continued with his speech. "Well, anyway, I think that's about it. No overeating, no dangerous stuff or injuries. Come back in January alive and well, and we'll have no trouble crushing Ravenclaw into dust. Merry Christmas!"

Laughing and chatting, the team dispersed. Nova's good mood had vanished when Wood had mentioned the holidays. He had reminded her of the fact that Nova would be remaining in Hogwarts, alone, and worst of all, her birthday was during the holiday season. Actually, it was Boxing Day, the day after Christmas. Nova knew that she wouldn't get a single card, except the customary birthday card and her favorite Toffee-Flavored Lolly from Evan, the only one who knew when her birthday was. Although in light of recent events, Nova doubted that she would be receiving even that. Adding to all of that, Nova would probably be the only one in Gryffindor House remaining at school over the holidays. Although, there was hope yet. Her friends had not yet discussed their holiday plans, but Nova had an ominous feeling about the holidays, and trudged sorrowfully into the Great Hall for breakfast. It didn't help her mood that Wood had had them up at basically dawn for early-morning Thursday training.

Sighing, Nova made her way to the Great Hall and found her Gryffindor friends. Lily and Mary were sitting on wither side of Lily and Alice. Marlene and Em were still at the Quidditch pitch, and Nova wouldn't be surprised if they ended up snogging their way through the male members of her Quidditch team. "Hey guys", she sighed, dropping onto the bench next in between Lily and Mary. "Hey Nova! So, how's practice going? Think we'll beat the Ravenclaws?", asked Alice excitedly, dark hair flying everywhere as she bounced up and down n the seat, including into Lily's face. Lily gave Alice a hair tie and Alice frowned at it before tying up her hair reluctantly under the watchful eye of Lily. "Sure, Alice, we've got a fighting chance", Nova replied, trying to hold back the giggles.

When the six of them had finished breakfast they went their separate ways- Lisa and Mary trudged off reluctantly to the dungeons and a terrific double Potions class; while Nova, Lily and Alice walked slowly to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class with the Slytherins. Their Defense professor, new this year, was Professor Reilly, a skinny little red-bearded Irishman. He got along very well with Nova, favoring the only other Irish student in the class. He showed the same amount of favoritism towards Melissa Finnegan, a third year Gryffindor, also Irish. He did not however, favor Will, although he was Irish, from Killarney.

Marlene and Em showed up mere seconds before Reilly and they all filed into the classroom, taking their seats. Reilly started to call role, ticking the names off on a list as he went along. Nova groaned, she had just realized that Evan, Mulciber and Avery were in this class. Just as Reilly called out, "Black, Sirius", Sirius, James, Remus and Peter burst into the classroom, panting as though they'd each done ten laps of the Quidditch pitch. Reilly looked up, far from amused. "Potter, Black, Lupin, Pettigrew, detention tonight, me office. Do not be late to my class again. Go on then, sit down!" The four boys trudged to their seats miserably, Remus shooting Sirius an annoyed look, clearly indicating that their tardiness was Sirius' fault.

Reilly finished the role and took a seat on his desk, leaning on the edge of it casually. "Did everyone do the twelve inches on Hinkypunks I asked for? Hmm… We shall see. ACCIO HOMEWORK!" About fifteen neat rolls of parchment sailed through the air and landed on Reilly's desk. He immediately began to go through them, checking the names off on a list. "Black, Potter, where is your homework?", he asked sharply. Sirius didn't even look up, inspecting his fingernails in a bored sort of way. James, despite all his cockiness could never quite pull off the same cool indifference that Sirius could, and so was studying the view from the window with intense concentration. "Well?", demanded Reilly. Sirius and James were forced to face their teacher with guilty faces. James spoke for himself and his friend. "Sorry Professor, must have forgot. We had like this _reeeeally_ long Transfiguration essay to finish last night and-" Reilly cut him off. "Your other homework, assigned by other teachers, is not my concern, Potter. Yourself and Black will be serving _another_ detention with me on Monday, nine o'clock sharp. I expect you both to hand in your essays tomorrow." Sirius groaned, Nova smirked, Marlene and Em burst into a fit of giggles that couldn't be stopped by even Reilly's glare.

Sighing and sitting back on his desk, Reilly began to talk about the aim of the lesson. "Alright, today we're going to move on from basic magical creatures to basic defensive magic and dueling. Some of the areas we will be studying will include disarming, Stunning, Shield Charms and basic dueling. We will _not_ be covering the Unforgivable Curses this year, as they aren't required until around fourth year. Okay, does anyone know anything about dueling? Ever done any, anything at all? Jinxes, Shield Charms, _legal _curses?" Reilly seemed to look especially towards the Marauders and a few of the Slytherins as he said this, then he looked to see who had raised their hand. Sirius, James, Nova and Lily had their hands in the air. Surprisingly, Evan, Avery and Mulciber were just sitting there, arms down, smirking as though they were above it all.

Reilly nodded at Sirius. "Black, you're up. What can you tell me about….jinxes? What are they, and name a couple." Sirius thought for only the barest instant before answering, although with parents like his a vast knowledge of Dark Magic was hardly surprising.

"Jinxes are one of the seven spell types, associated with Dark and negative magic. They are used mostly for the amusement of the caster and for defense. They can be prevented by an Anti-jinx and stopped by a Counter-jinx. Examples…. Jelly-legs, Finger-removing, Stinging, Stretching and Anti-disoperation Jinxes."

Reilly looked vaguely impressed with Sirius, nodding to show that eh was correct. Next he called on Lily. "Ah, Evans. What can you tell me about…Shield Charms?" Lily didn't even have to think, immediately rattling ff a definition and explanation. "The term Shield Charm refers to several varieties of charms used to repel physical entities and spells. The simplest and most commonly used variation is the Protego Charm, performed with an upwards flick of the wand." Once more Reilly nodded, signifying that Lily was correct, looking very impressed at the capabilities of her memory.

"Okay now, _legal_ curses and examples. Let's see, aahh… Potter, fire away." James sat back, looking smug. "The worst of the seven kinds of spell. Curses are the worst kind of Dark Magic and are used to cause harm, injury or death. Examples would be the three Unforgivable Curses, the Gemino and the Hair-Loss Curses." Once more, James was correct and Reilly looked around for the last volunteer, eyes resting on Nova.

"Now Loyal, I've been led to understand by Professor Dumbledore that you have an, _aahh, special _understanding of this last topic, and the one we shall be focusing on over the coming weeks. Dueling. Off you go."

Nova thought for a minute, all eyes on her, waiting. Then she was ready. "A duel is a confrontation between two wizards. The two combatants must first bow before using different spells to harm, disarm or kill until one combatant is either killed or surrenders. In case a combatant dies a replacement, called a second, can continue the duel on their behalf." Reilly nodded. "Correct. Now, ordinarily dueling is not permitted, but is a prized skill amongst Aurors, and is commonly used during times of war. Now, today we will be focusing on dueling, so please follow me to the Great Hall, 'cause I'm not stupid enough the do it with you in here, I like my classroom."

Whispering and muttering the class filed out and made their way to the Great Hall, Nova doing her best to avoid the stares of Evan, Avery and Mulciber. When they reached the Great Hall Reilly called for silence, which took several minutes to achieve, mostly because of the Marauders, who had demonstrated the Jelly-Legs Curse on Adrian Simmons of Slytherin. When Reilly had finally managed to sort out Simmons and promised the Marauders two weeks worth of detention, he began to pair them up according to ability.

Nova had been hoping to go with a Gryffindor, standing with the girls from her dormitory. When Reilly came over accompanied by a smirking Evan, her heart sank. She stomped off with Evan, who looked very pleased with himself. "Cheer up, Nova", he had the nerve to say. "Somebody's got to give them a good show." Nova could have punched him. _"I'll be handing you your ass in a bucket, Rosier.", _she hissed.Then she stalked off and lined up across from Evan with the others.

Reilly had had the tables cleared so that the Hall was now one great expanse of wide-open space. Reilly spoke up, explaining what they were to do. "Okay, what I want you to do is as follows: bow to each other first, holding wands in the accepted combat positions, then cast the first spells on the count of three, proceeding from there. Today we aren't going to focus on anything in particular, since I've heard that ye did the Shield Charm recently with Professor Flitwick, so just fire away, duel as best ye can, but _no_ illegal curses, and _you may not curse someone else's partner, Black and Potter. _Begin."

Nova glared daggers at Evan as she bowed_, _keeping eye contact throughout. Raising their wands, Evan counted them in, unable to resist a little teasing. "On three, Nova. One. Two. Hope you're not afraid or anything, Loyal. THREE!"

"MELAFORS!", bellowed Nova, her quick spell hitting Evan before he could perform a Shield Charm, encasing his head in a giant pumpkin. Laughter broke out in the Hall. Evan raised a wand blindly, unable to see due to the pumpkin on his head. "LOCOMOTOR WIBBLY!" Nova reacted fast. "PROTEGO! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" Evan was first thrown backwards by the force of her spell as his friends had been earlier that term, then hit with the Full Body-Bind Curse. The curse kicked in as he was thrown across the room, so he landed pumpkin-headed and paralyzed.

Silence fell throughout the Hall, the sudden bursts of light that accompanied spell-casting ceasing as all eyes fell on Nova. Em and Marlene's eyes were like saucer, the Marauders looked very impressed, Lily and Alice merely amazed. Then Professor Reilly was next to Evan, performing the counter-curses. When he finished he stood up and stared over at Nova, who stood defiant with her head held high, not caring if she got a detention. Then Reilly spoke with wonder in his voice. "Loyal, that was-that was something else. I see that Dumbledore was right. What age are you?" "Eleven, nearly twelve." "And when do you turn twelve?" Nova cringed at the question, now everyone would know when her birthday was. "Boxing Day, sir. A week and a half's time."

Reilly murmured something that sounded like, _"Amazing." _Then the bell rang, to Nova's delight. The class fled out the doors to Charms, Nova praying hat she wouldn't bump into a pissed-off Slytherin. She left the Hall and headed straight for Charms, not hesitating for a second to send a curse bounding down the hallway towards an evilly-smirking Avery, turning his ears into broccoli, deciding that she would stick to low-key curses and jinxes at the risk of being expelled. Then she sprinted down the hall to Charms, praying that she wouldn't be followed.

Nova managed to avoid her friends and classmates until dinner, putting them off with talk of the upcoming Christmas Dance (fourth years and up), and who the best fourth years to sucker into taking you would be. But at dinner, Lily, Alice, Marlene and Em cornered her. Will, Lisa, Mary and Reg arrived from a shared class and, once filled in, joined the pestering party. Finally she gave in.

"I've already told ye how I grew up after age four. Of course I can duel, defensive spells were the first things I learned. I needed to, for God's sake!" At long last they seemed satisfied, and changed the subject, Lily grinning coyly. "So, Nova", she began, still grinning with that coy expression, "Your birthday's on Boxing Day, right?" Glowering, Nova nodded stiffly. "Why didn't you say something? That's like… a week and a half!", Marlene burst out.

Nova spoke with her eyes fixed on her knees. "I don't like people making a fuss on my birthday." Em and Alice snorted, and Will raised a disbelieving eyebrow. Lily spoke next. "Nova, I don't mean to be rude or anything, just an honest question. You might not like people making a fuss on your birthday, but since your parents died, who has?", she asked softly. Nova wasn't angry, just sad. She missed Liam and Mara Loyal deeply: the way her father, tall and strong, would swing her up onto his shoulders; the way her mother, a skilled Metamorphagus, would make her goo and laugh as a young child; the way her father, a Legilmens, could always tell what was wrong with her mother and make everything better. Nova missed the days when a simple wave of one of her parents' wands could make everything better. Now everything was so much more complicated.

"Just Evan. Evan Rosier. He's the only one who knew when my birthday was. Actually, before I came to Hogwarts, Ev was my only and best friend", said Nova in a small voice, having decided on total honesty. There was no one she could trust more than these eight people, except for perhaps Albus Dumbledore. She could trust them.

Nova heard the sighs and gasps at her statement, refusing to look up. "Sorry Nova. I guess we're just… surprised… that you could ever have been friends with Evan Rosier. I mean, he's into Dark Magic and all that, everything you're not, and besides, you both seem to hate each other", came Will's soft voice.

Nova swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling Reg and Alice's comforting arms around her shoulders, the others fighting for a chance to pat her knee. Nova smiled, she had great friends. "You're right, really, Will. In a lot of ways, Ev and I're opposites. I don't stand for Dark Magic, but if somebody uses it on me, I'll use it on them. Dueling is a hobby of mine, and I'm not even sure if its legal. The thing is, the laws of our world don't really affect my decisions either, much like Ev and his friends. Ev loves Quidditch, he used to pay with me during the summer, and that's my favorite hobby. And of course, for long stretches of time, Ev and I would have been the only kids for miles, so we came to an understanding quickly. He was as good a friend as he could be. When they cursed me he didn't stop it, but I could tell he wanted to. He knew that I could take it, trusted me and asked me to trust him. He wouldn't risk his life for me, and I wouldn't for him, so we have an understanding, I s'pose. I can't stand for his bad qualities, but his good ones, can be truly good sometimes."

Nova looked up to shocked faces. "Sorry", she mumbled blushing, "I've been rambling, haven't I? Its just such a complicated relationship to explain, simple enough to live." "Well, Nova, we trust you enough to trust that you know best. But if Evan ever hurts you I'll kill him. I've got to go now, Charms homework, but you can expect a present from me", stated Reg calmly. Then with a kind squeeze of her shoulder, he was gone.

Then Will stood up. "Same from me, Nova. He hurts you, or any of ye, he dies. I gotta go too, I was supposed to have detention with Reilly a half hour ago. Did you know that if you're late for detention every day, he adds it on at the end? I'm _still_ doing detention from the Dungbomb thing, and that was TWO MONTHS AGO!"

Everybody burst out laughing, Lisa sticking out her tongue at Will as he left, Will sticking his out over his shoulder as he ran, middle finger extended behind him. Then Slughorn walked past and saw Will's finger, thinking it was meant for him, a teacher. He turned on his heel and set off after Will, who immediately started to sprint away, dodging madly through the crowd. "GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT, O' BRIEN, YOU RUFFIAN! HOW DARE YOU MAKE THAT RUDE HAND GESTURE AT A TEACHER! I SHALL BE INFORMING PROFESSOR MCGONAGALL OF YOUR TRANSGRESSION, HAVE NO DOUBT! GET BACK HERE, O' BRIEN, THIS INSTANT!", bellowed Slughorn in vain. Realizing that merely shouting was pointless, Slughorn tried to run after Will, but due to his rather overweight frame, it was really more of a waddle.

Nova and her friends looked at each other, then burst out laughing. "RUN, SIR, RUN!", yelled Em, ducking when Slughorn wheeled around. Clutching at their sides and laughing, the seven friends set off for the Gryffindor Common Room and the joys of Transfiguration homework.

**There we go, another chapter done! So yeah, one thing: if you read this, do you think you could just drop me a quick review, even a smiley face or a quick hi! or whatever, please! I accept anon reviews as well! Thanks I would so appreciate it! J**


	8. Christmas at Hogwarts

Nova flew over the Quidditch pitch, looping and slaloming through the goal hoops, chasing a spare snitch she had _borrowed_ from the equipment storeroom. She had been out here for three hours now, having skipped dinner. It was now nine o'clock, past the second year curfew and very dark, so dark that all Nova could see was the bright gold glint of the snitch. She caught it again on the tips of her fingers and released it, impatiently counting to five in her head before turning her broom to fly after it again. She followed it to the foot of the goal hoops, and reaching out, felt the feathers of the snitch's wings. But when she went to close her fingers around the small golden ball it was already gone, and Nova growled in frustration.

She just couldn't concentrate! Out of the million times she had chased the snitch that night, she had missed it by the skin of her teeth several times, unheard of! But she just couldn't help it- tomorrow morning most of the school would leave for their homes and Christmas with their families, while Nova would be staying at Hogwarts with a bunch of stuffy old professors and a poltergeist on a holiday-high. She would probably celebrate her twelfth birthday looking for a way out of the damned Castle. Still, it could be far worse than spending Christmas at Hogwarts. She could be spending it at Rosier Manor with the Junior Death Eaters and their _lovely_ families, washing down dinner with a good old-fashioned bit of Pure-Blood supremacy from old Lord Non-Nose, as she now liked to call him.

However, that kind of perspective still wasn't enough to rid herself of the jealousy. Will would be returning to Ireland, the youngest of four and the baby of a family of brainiacs. Nova had seen his older siblings- two brothers and a sister, all in Ravenclaw of course- around school. His two older identical twin brothers, carbon copies of Will, were in their OWL year; his sister, the eldest in the family and the only O' Brien sibling not to have highlights in their uniform brown hair, was in sixth year. He would have a great Christmas, a million miles away from what Nova was expecting- trapped all alone in a freezing old castle with nothing to do except practice hexes on Mrs. Norris.

Mary would be heading back up to Scotland where she lived with her mother, father and older brother who had graduated from Hogwarts the previous year and was now interning at the _Daily Prophet. _Lisa would be spending the holidays in London as the centre of the Wyatts' attention, being an only child and all. Regulus had told her in the most sarcastic tone he could muster that he personally couldn't _wait _to return to the House of Black. Apparently, the only positive was that Sirius would be spending Christmas at the Potter Mansion. Em's family hadn't sounded like they could wait to see her in their last letter, and Marlene hadn't gone a single day in December without a letter from her mother asking how to cook various holiday delights. Alice would be returning home with a full football team of cousins and second cousins, the Prewett clan united once more. All of them headed back to lovely warm Christmases at home with loving families, roaring fires, and Christmas pudding by the shovelful.

Groaning, Nova threw herself at the snitch one more time, catching it with a sigh of relief. Shivering with the oncoming cold she pointed her broomstick to the ground, landing and dragging herself off the pitch, feeling the frustration build up and morph into anger, so close to bubbling over like a smoking cauldron. She stomped through the halls, not even caring that Filch might hear her. If either him or his damned cat poked their whiskers around a corner she would blow them into the next century.

Kicking at her poor broom, Nova stomped to the top of Gryffindor Tower and stopped at the portrait hole. The Fat Lady was almost horizontal, brandy barrels strewn throughout the canvas background. _"Yuletide cheer",_ growled Nova. The Fat Lady's only response to the password was to swing open drunkenly. Nova climbed through, her black scowl stopping anyone from engaging her in conversation. The Marauders had turned another first year into a Smurf. After Sirius' birthday prank (Smurfius Black), they had become obsessed with Smurfs. Nova pushed through the crowd until she was about three feet from the roaring fireplace Sirius and James had sent the chandelier into earlier in the term. The soft squishy armchairs there were the most sought after, and were always occupied by the oldest and toughest students who only had to _look_ at the younger ones before they moved, quick as lightning. But on this particular night, the biggest and comfiest chair was free, right in front of the warmth of the fire.

Ignoring the glares and scowls, Nova made her way to that armchair and plonked herself down on it, throwing her legs over the arms, nestling herself deep into the soft fabric, being sure to sub her mucky Quidditch robes over every little inch of chair. Twirling her wand through her fingers, she pointed it into the fire, creating little swirls and shapes in the flames. All eyes were on her, and more specifically, the chair she was sprawled across, but she ignored them all, blanking everything out but the miraculous twirling tongues of fire.

"Excuse me, but that's my chair you're sitting on." Nova looked up and saw the burly figure of Lewis Andrews, the failed Gryffindor Seeker. Nova just shrugged, the anger and frustration with her situation almost reaching boiling point. She turned her attention back to the fire and the shapes she was creating in it. The seventh year coughed impatiently, but Nova didn't even twitch. If he didn't go away soon she was going snap, and snap badly.

Two minutes later nova was still sitting in the coveted chair creating swirls of fire, and Lewis Andrews sounded like he had bad bronchitis or something similar, with the amount of coughing he had done. Lewis snapped before Nova. "OKAY TITCHY BITCHY, YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO MOVE BEFORE I MAKE YOU!" Nova almost laughed, looking up at him and his angry red face. He had nothing to be angry about at all. She raised her wand. "MELOFORS!" she yelled, sending a burst of bright orange light directly at Lewis, who let out the most curious girly screech. Then his head was encased in a pumpkin. His is seventh year friends stood and drew their wands, looking menacing. Nova decided to test her multiple attackers dueling technique at a later date- she was angry, not stupid. She sprinted out of the Common Room to great applause and the sound of breaking glass. Clearly while the seventh year Gryffindor boys were highly skilled at cursing almost-innocent little girls, their aim left a _lot_ to be desired. Puffing and panting, Nova burst into her dorm and threw herself under the bed, where she cowered until the other girls came up, about three hours later.

Next morning, Nova was up and out of the dorm at practically dawn, well before the others could wake and start to pack for their lovely family Christmas at home. Grumpy and half-asleep, she somehow found herself in the basement near the Hufflepuff Common Room, standing in front of a large painting of a bowl of a fruit. She didn't know why, but she could feel that this was more than just a painting, the same feeling she'd gotten right before she gone through a tapestry on the third floor. She'd followed it and ended up in a Hogsmeade backstreet. Fortunately, it had been the middle of the night and no one had seen her, but it had been a very interesting experience. After that incident she had been on the lookout for more secret passageways. She had found a few, the discovery always preceded by the same tingly feeling she was getting right now.

Pulling out her wand to try out a spell that had worked before, a couple of Hufflepuff fifth years walked past, and several of them looked at her knowingly. Nova realized that they must know how to get into the secret passageway. Searching desperately for a brainwave, Nova remembered that she was after all, a Legilmens. Focusing her powers on one of the Hufflepuffs, a nice girl with curly hair that Nova had seen in the library surrounded by piles of books, Nova closed her eyes and allowed the thoughts to flood in, emptying her own mind. _*__Poor little girl, looks lonely… Hmm, Jared Bell____is dreamy. NO, NO BOYS-INTERRUPT STUDYING…. Wonder if that girl____knows how to get into the kitchens… Mmm, Mom is doing plum pudding____for____Christmas Dinner…. Wonder if the House Elves have any, hmm, tickle the pear, tickle the pear, go on… NO I'LL BE LATE… Think I should go get breakfast, if it's even started yet…__*_

Tickle the pear? Bingo! Nova waited until the girls had turned the corner before reaching forward and tickling the pear, in the left-hand side of the fruit-bowl painting. The pear giggled and the large painting swung forward as though it was on hinges, revealing a vast bustling space full of House Elves. Going on the curly-haired Hufflepuff girl's thoughts, Nova assumed that this was the kitchens. She stepped through into the huge room, and silence fell. Then about twenty House Elves scurried over to her, Hogwarts tea-towels draped like togas over their wrinkly little frames.

"Hello, miss!" "Would you like some foods, miss!" "Today we are making the plum puddings, miss, would yous like some?" On and on and on they went, in their high chirpy voices. Nova would have been annoyed with them if it wasn't for the mega-watt smiles they were giving her, so eager to please. Now that she thought about it though, she was starving. "Umm, can I have like a bun or soething? Something cakey would be great."

"Yes, miss!" "Of course, miss!" "Would you like a cream bun, a chocolate cake or a rock bun, miss?" Nova considered it, loneliness and despair threatening to take over. She was determined to fight off the negative feelings. "Everything." The House Elves bobbed their ugly little heads again and again, grinning from ear to ear. "Would miss like something to drink?", chirped one tiny Elf. Nova scanned the kitchens, looking for inspiration, something nice to drink that would cheer her up. On a large table, positioned like the House tables in the Great Hall above, a few dozen House Elves were making Christmas puddings, finishing them off with a drizzling of alcohol.

"I'd like some of that", said Nova, pointing to a spare bottle of the alcohol the House Elves were using. "And lots of it."

An hour later Nova was still there, sprawled across a bench at one of the long tables. The cakes she had asked for were sitting on a plate on the table in front of her. She had been lying across the bench for about forty minutes now, drinking gulp after gulp of what the Elves had called Firewhiskey. Whatever it was, Nova loved it. It was exactly what she needed to take the edge off of of everything, and it was working. Think of Evan Rosier, at this very moment probably in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express on his way home. No problem! Think of the Dark Lord, waiting for his favorite punching bag to arrive, not knowing that she never would. No problem! She could even picture Voldemort's exact expression without fear, and that was how she knew that the Firewhiskey was working.

Dreamily, Nova started to wave the empty bottle in the air gently. Her mind was starting to get a little hazy, just what she wanted. She started to drift off into thoughts of Quidditch, of flying upside down under the stands, of zooming around after the snitch, of messing round at practice with Annie and Bobby…. "What's she doing here?", came a vaguely familiar voice from somewhere in the distance. "Miss is eating, sirs!" Then came a groan and sigh. Next thing Nova knew she was being lifted by her arms and ankles. Giggling, she started to sway, swinging her body back and forth. She heard a groan as one of her feet connected with what seemed to be a face. "Honestly, Sirius, I know you said we should be nice and all, but I'm not that nice. C'mon, she won't even remember it!" "'Kay. STUPEFY!" The voices were the last thing Nova heard before she was Stunned. Bastards.

Nova woke up suddenly, wondering where she was. She was lying on a bed, but it wasn't her bed, and it wasn't her dorm. Without moving her head, Nova took in the Puddlemere United Quidditch posters, a blown-up Muggle photo of a sleek red motorbike, a scantily-clad blond girl straddling it, exposing so much skin that she left pretty much nothing to the imagination. So she must be in a boys dorm then.

And then her head exploded with pain, it felt like the Cruciatus Curse was being used on her brain. "Ugghhh!", she groaned, grabbing her head and holding it tightly. Slowly she got off the bed, holding her head tightly as she maneuvered her way through the petrified socks and discarded pieces of ripped-up paper littered the floor. Groaning, she stumbled down to the Common Room, thankfully the Gryffindor one. It was only when she was curled up on the comfy armchair she had stolen from the seventh year that she remembered that she was a witch, and could therefore do magic. Thanking the gods above, Nova muttered an anti-hangover charm.

Grinning at the rush of instant relief that accompanied the charm, Nova leapt up from the chair and scanned the room. Where was everyone? And then she remembered: everyone was gone home for a lovely cozy Christmas with their nearest and dearest, and she was stuck at Hogwarts, all alone, except for the two people who had carried her from the kitchens the night before. Who were they, and were they still here? It would be nice to have some company.

Now depressed, Nova went up to her dorm for some clothes. She found a pair of worn jeans, a scarlet t-shirt, Gryffindor jumper she'd found in the Common Room a few weeks ago, and her favorite ratty sneakers. Then she grabbed her broom and, deciding that the stairs were just too far away, opened the dorm window and jumped out. She free-fell about fifty feet before swinging her broomstick under her and flying on to the Quidditch pitch.

When she got there, however, there were already two other people flying there, so fast that they were only dark laughing blurs. Nova grinned- she may be stuck here, but at least it was with people who liked flying! Whooping loudly she joined them, hanging from her broom by the ankles as it reached top speed. The two blurs slowed at the sight of Nova, revealing themselves to be Sirius Black and James Potter, who according to Regulus, were supposed to be halfway across the country by now. It was then that Nova realized that they must have been the two people who'd carried her out of the kitchens the night before. Oh the humiliation!

"Hey Nova! How's the head?", roared James, grinning widely with Sirius. "Smaller than yours, Potter!", Nova bellowed back. Sirius doubled over on the broomstick, laughing hard. James just looked shocked. Nova winked at the two boys before continuing her upside down broomstick flying. Sirius and James gave each other a _what's wrong with her _look- before hanging off their own brooms by the ankles and following Nova around the pitch, all three of them screaming at the tops of their voices.

Christmas Day dawned and Nova woke to an empty dorm, as she had for the last few days. She had successfully avoided Sirius and James ever since the Quidditch pitch incident, although she had spotted them tumbling out from behind a statue on the fifth floor, covered in dust and dirt. Ever since then she'd put a Tracking Charm on them, getting up every night to follow the invisible trail that, thanks to the charm, the boys had left. She had found several hundred new secret passageways and spent her time exploring them. It was better than wallowing in misery.

She was astonished when she looked down to the foot of her bed and saw a small pile of presents. Usually she only had a few small ones, but this year there were at least five decent-sized ones. She had sent Honeydukes mini-hampers to the girls in her dorm, the Marauders (she still couldn't remember why), and Reg, Lisa, Will and Mary. She just hadn't been expecting anything back!

Diving onto the pile, Nova immediately started to rip off the wrapping paper. The first present was from Lisa, a big box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans. Nova started scoffing them as she ripped open Mary's gift- a book called 'Quidditch Through the Ages'. Nova squealed in delight, she had wanted this book for ages! Will had gotten her a Broomstick Servicing Kit, and Reg a flask of what seemed to be called Butterbeer. It was warm and everything, probably charmed, and smelt like heaven! The Marauders had gotten her a Gryffindor Quidditch jumper with a note pinned to it, '_So you can give me back mine- JP.'_ Nova snorted with laughter, slipping on the jumper, at least now she knew who's jumper she had been wearing. A large vial tumbled out onto the floor and rolled towards Nova. It was full of a clear, sparkling liquid, and also had a note attached to it. '_For the next time you decide to get drunk- Hangover Potion'. _ Nova couldn't help but laugh as she put the presents into her bedside locker.

When she had put them all away, there was a small card still on the floor. It was small with a picture of a broomstick with a wreath of holly on it, achingly familiar. He hadn't forgotten. The inside of the card read '_To Nova, Merry Xmas, From Ev'. _Short and to the point, just as it always had been. It was the little Christmas Tree drawn in green ink in the corner that he drew every year. There was a Toffee-Flavoured Lolly-shaped parcel taped to the Christmas card, a tradition between Evan and Nova. They both loved sweets, Toffee Lollies in particular. It wasn't that it was any great, all-time present or anything, it was just what they did. An unbreakable tradition, if you thought about it that way. Nova smiled, unwrapped the lolly and popped it in her mouth, sighing with pleasure. Man, she loved these things!

Now miles happier, Nova skipped down into the Common Room, carrying James' jumper. Sirius and James were lying on couches by the fire, passed out, surrounded by what Nova recognized as Firewhiskey. Well, they had more sense than her anyway. They'd had the good sense to pass out drunk in their own Common Room. Admiring their good sense in the only situation they'd applied it to so far, Nova tossed the jumper over to them. It landed on James' face. He didn't even stir.

Nova laughed and skipped down to the kitchens, her presents had cheered her up no end. Tickling the pear she entered the kitchens and was immediately surrounded by House Elves. Sucking on her lollipop, Nova sat at one of the four huge tables and waited for the Elves to bring her her food. Sighing in content, Nova lay back on the bench as though on a bed, sucking on her lollipop like it was a baby's soother. "Here is miss's food!", chirped a House Elf, dropping a plateful of strawberries and cream on the table, then a pot of sugar. Nova beamed at the Elf, then dug in.

Five minutes later Nova scooped up the last dollop of cream with the last scarlet strawberry and placed it delicately on her tongue, closing her eyes, savouring the amazing taste sensation. She swallowed it with a loud moan of pleasure. Then she heard a snort. Starting. Her eyes shot open and her fingers scrambled in her robes for her wand. Sirius Black and James Potter stood on the other side of the table, smirking and holding heaped plates of mouthwatering pancakes. Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Usually girls only make _that_ sound when I snog them", he remarked. James snorted and sat down across from Nova. Sirius sat next to him and they both began to plough through their overflowing plates while Nova looked on in disgust.

When they were finally finished, it was Nova's turn to raise her eyebrow. "What I don't understand, Black, is how any girl can find _that_ attractive!", she snapped, running her eyes down his well-built frame. With that she waltzed out of the kitchens, leaving a shell-shocked Sirius and a laughing James in her wake. Full of strawberries and cream, Nova marched out onto the Quidditch pitch to burn off her frustration.

X

The Great Hall looked magnificent, there was simply no other word for it. Glistening enchanted icicles hung from the single long table that remained, holly berries and leaves were in every corner and arranged on the table, and colorful paper chains hung from the ceiling and walls. The suits of armour and portraits throughout the castle had belted out Christmas carols all morning, doing their best to get the occupants of Hogwarts into the Christmas spirit or die trying. Nova staggered down the stairs, groaning, her best jeans and favorite new Gryffindor Quidditch jumper covering most of the bruises and scratches she'd gotten earlier. While on the Quidditch pitch doing her best to burn off her frustration and irritation with Sirius, she'd somehow lost control of her broom and shot straight into the stands. Suffice to say that Nova had about a million bruises, scratches and splinters, and the top level of the Hufflepuff stands was a little more unstable than it had been before. Also, her wrist and ankle, almost healed, were now slightly swollen and most definitely _not_ healed.

In honor of the occasion, Nova had made the most of her Metamorphagus skills and morphed her hair. It now fell down her back, wavy, still the same dark color, a shade away from jet black. She had thought about making a real entrance- glow-in-the-dark hot pink hair and electric-green eyes- but decided against it when she saw how pretty she looked with her hair as it was. She hadn't felt pretty in ages. Not that that had lasted long. When most of your body is aching and you've almost demolished the top level of a Quidditch stand, its very hard to feel attractive, or even pretty.

Biting her lip to stop the stream of filthy curses begging to exit her mouth, Nova staggered into the Great Hall, flashing everyone what was meant to be a smile but was probably a terrifying grimace. Several of the professors were seated at the table, including Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick and Slughorn. Sirius and James were seated to one side of Slughorn, behind him as he turned his head when Nova opened the door. She shoved her fist into her mouth as she watched the boys charm Slughorn's best pointed hat into a huge, angry-looking, furry tarantula. The obese professor didn't seem to notice that a pissed-off arachnid had taken up residence on his balding head.

Apart from Sirius and James, there were four other students in attendance. Dumbledore greeted her and waved her to a seat with a jolly expression. Nova staggered over to her seat and looked around to the other diners. She was seated across from two slightly older boys with flaming red hair and identical handsome freckled faces. They seemed the tall and skinny type, although of course it was hard to tell since they were sitting down. Next to Nova was a girl who looked older again. Nova recognized her as the fifth year prefect from her first day, Molly Prewett. The two twins seemed to be her younger brothers, they had the same flaming scarlet hair. The last girl was probably in fifth year as well, as she seemed to be very close to Molly. The two were in deep discussion. This girl seemed tall and willowy, graceful and elegant. Her hair was long and dark in a style similar Nova's, and her keen green eyes were covered by thick glasses that seemed to magnify the emerald orbs, giving her the appearance of a cat.

Dumbledore looked down the table and saw that, apart from Sirius and James, engaged in a lively discussion, things were rather awkward. Dinner had not yet appeared and things were rather boring, as Nova knew no one except for Sirius and James, the last people she would choose to talk to. So, of course, Dumbledore took it upon himself to ensure that were all introduced.

"Now, everybody, please listen up! It has come to my attention that you all do not know each other as well as I would hope, so let me do the honors. Sirius Black and James Potter, as I'm sure you all know, are the two gentlemen who seem to find Professor Slughorn's hat amusing. Two of the brightest second year Gryffindors I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Nova Loyal is their fellow second year Gryfindor, and although she is young, seems to be every bit as intelligent as Mr Potter and Mr Black. Now onto our third years, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, also of Gryffindor House. Two fine young men who should perhaps spend more time to their studies than organizing illegal duels with some of our Slytherin students." At this, everyone burst out laughing, even Dumbledore chuckling a little. Fabian and Gideon Prewett laughed as hard as anyone else, looking every bit as repentant as a pair of slugs.

Dumbledore continued, "And finally, our sixth years: Molly Prewett and Dorcas Meadowes, two of the brightest students in their year. Molly is in the same house as her brothers, Gryffindor, while Dorcas seems to be the only student here who is not in that House. Dorcas belongs of course to Ravenclaw, as befits her record-breaking OWL results. Now, let us all enter into the Christmas spirit and have a bit of a chat."

"Hello, you're Nova, right?" "Don't listen to Gid, talk to me, I know you're called Nova, not stupid enough to have to ask. I'm physic you know", said one of the red-haired twins, deadpan with a straight face, stretching out a hand to Nova to shake, which she did. His brother hit him in the arm and extended his hand, slapping his brother's out of the way. Then they were both at it, slapping and punching each others' arms to try and get to shake a now giggling Nova's hand first. It was resolved when Molly, annoyed at the squeals the boys had let out, pulled her wand on them with a threatening look. Immediately both boys' hands were in the air, each looking meek as choirboys. Everyone laughed, even McGonagall, who didn't even admonish Molly.

When their sister turned back to Dorcas, the two boys turned back to Nova with cheeky grins. The twin who had spoken first extended his hand, a product of silent mutual agreement. "Hiya, the name's Gideon Prewett, the cool twin. The _other_ one's Fabian." The other one smacked Gideon, who squealed. With a single glare from Molly, both were once again on their best behavior. Nova, Fabian and Gideon were soon deep in conversation about dueling techniques, avoiding the glares of Molly and the professors.

When the food arrived, everyone moaned in delight. The aroma was mouth-watering- succulent turkey, delicious ham, stinky sprouts, hot roast potatoes, and steaming roast chestnuts. James dived at the table, puling the whole bowl of chestnuts towards him, somehow eating them all before anyone else had even served themselves. Nova rolled her eyes and tried not to swear aloud when Fabian, aiming for Gideon, kicked her under the table. Everyone dug in, laughing happily as they pulled crackers. Nova somehow managed to win against Fabian, previously undefeated, her prize being an extra-large pack of delicious Drooble's Best Bubblegum.

Leaning back into their chairs, everyone fell into quiet, relaxed conversations. Nova let her mind drift, glancing around the Hall. With a start of recognition, her eyes fell on the small three-legged Sorting Stool. Nova remembered the words of the Sorting Hat to her that first day, words that she now realized were almost entirely untrue. Unable to believe that she hadn't realized it before now, Nova got up and walked urgently over to Dumbledore. She asked Flitwick politely if she could have his seat for a minute, and the little man nodded immediately, taking Nova's seat and discussing dueling with an eager Fabian and Gideon.

Nova addressed the headmaster urgently. "Professor Dumbledore, I as just thinking back on my first day here at Hogwarts, and I think the Sorting Hat must be faulty or something!" Dumbledore laughed. "Why so, child?" "Well, I remember it saying that both of my parents were in Gryffindor House, but that's not true. My father was a Slytherin, my mother a Ravenclaw. The Sorting Hat got it badly wrong!" Once more Dumbledore laughed, and Nova began to grow impatient. Did he not understand that this was important?!

Dumbledore noticed her mood and began to explain, this time in a very hushed voice so that no one else would hear. "Sorry child, but let me explain why I think that happened. Although your father was, as you said, of Slytherin House, I believe that based on his actions when he, so's to say, grew up a bit, I think that the Hat must have felt that it made an incorrect decision. You never knew your paternal grandparents, did you, Nova? Well, I can tell you for sure that Conn and Grace Loyal raised no Death Eater. Contrary to popular belief, Nova, not all Slytherin believe in Pureblood supremacy and the like. I am of the opinion that, having heard their son's less than favourable opinion of Muggles and those with Muggle blood, your grandparents managed to knock some sense into their son. From the beginning of his second year, Liam Loyal had as many Muggleborn friends as Pureblood and Halfblood ones, his prejudice gone. It was, of course, too late by then for the Sorting Hat, and your father remained a Slytherin.

"Your mother, Mara Greengrass as I knew her, was every inch the perfect Ravenclaw student. She was extremely intelligent, kind and loyal, a credit to the House. What the Hat could not have foreseen was that towards the last few years of her school career, Mara realized that she was perhaps spending too much time in the Library. She spent less time studying and more time with her friends and peers, showing herself to be not just intelligent, but kind, brave and loyal as well, the core qualities of Gryffindor House. I believe that the Sorting Hat, for probably only the second time in its long career, felt that it had made a mistake. The Sorting Hat clearly feels still that your parents, Nova, truly belonged in Gryffindor House, if they had only been Sorted a few years later. As far as I know, Liam and Mara Loyal's Sortings are the only two the Hat ever regretted, and it was determined, I believe, not to make the same mistake with you. Does that answer your question?"

Struggling to absorb the headmaster's long speech, Nova nodded. "Yes, Professor, thanks." Dumbledore fixed her with a penetrating stare. "And Nova, my child, please do go easy on the flying. Pomona, I mean Professor Sprout, would be most distraught if the Hufflepuff Quidditch stand were to receive further damage." Then to Nova's shock , he winked at her. "Yes, sire", was her reply, and taking her leave, she left the Hall, just as Professor Slughorn finally seemed to realize that his hat was now a very large angry spider, at the exact moment it climbed down his head and bit his nose. Laughing as she made her way to the pitch, Nova still thought he had screamed louder when her spoiled potion had hit him in the face. Ah, good times, good times….


	9. The Animagus

Nova spent the morning of her birthday, Boxing Day, in bed. Her bruises and scratches from the Quidditch accident from the day before had barely started to heal, and she'd completely worn herself out flying the night before. She had actually intended to spend the afternoon in bed as well, but that was not to be.

The first screech came at eleven o'clock sharp, followed by several loud taps on the window. Groaning, Nova woke and went to let the owl in. It flew straight to her bed, where it dropped a letter and a wrapped parcel, before flying straight out again. And so it began, an endless blitz of owls bearing parcels. Nova was hit in the face by about five of them and knocked to the ground, where she wisely decided to stay until it was over. When the owls were finally gone there was a small pile of presents on her bed.

Slightly annoyed, Nova fixed herself and went to her bed. Curse Reilly for making her tell half of second year her birthday, it was really all his fault. At least one of the presents would probably blow up in her face and burn down her dorm, courtesy of the Marauders. Damn Reilly to the deepest pit of hell where he belonged!

Nova grudgingly began to open her presents. He first was from Reg, a small circular package with a card attached. It read '_To Nova, I told you I'd remember. Happy Birthday! Love, Reg'. _Nova had to smile, ripping open her present to reveal a small black box with _Quality Quidditch Supplies_ printed in gold on the lid. When she opened it a beautiful, tiny, winged, golden ball flew out and hovered in front of her, before zipping off around the dorm. Nova laughed happily, mentally thanking Reg for cheering her up.

The next present was from Alice, a pretty little silver charm bracelet without charms. Lily, Em and Marlene had gotten her a charm each: a tiny Gryffindor lion, a scale model of her beloved broomstick, and a little orange pumpkin. Nova laughed- the girls had obviously been thinking of dear Evan. Nova clipped the charms onto the bracelet and fastened it onto her wrist before opening the next present. This one was from Will, Mary and Lisa: a beautiful silver Gobstones set. Nova squealed in delight, she loved Gobstones!

There was a shopping bag from Zonko's Joke Shop from the Marauders, which thankfully didn't blow up. Nova rubbed her hands together with glee, she was going to have fun with this! She was touched that they had thought of her though, after all, it wasn't like she talked to the four boys very often. She supposed it was because they were hoping she blow up the Slytherin Common Room for them or something. There was actually a list attached in full view on the outside of the bag, listing about fifty or so people they approved the use of the products on, and ten they actually asked Nova outright to prank mercilessly. Evan had sent the familiar birthday card with a wrapped Toffee-Flavored Lolly taped to it, the only present she would have received a year ago. The last present was a slim pocket-sized spellbook entitled _The Ultimate Pocket Spellbook, Edition 5. _There was a small card with a picture of a cute robin on the front. Inside it read '_To Nova, I found this in our library, it's a bit old but does have some good spells. Nobody in our house needs or should be using it, so please don't hesitate to use it. Merry Christmas! Love Reg'. _Nova grinned, her best friend was just too generous. She would have to find out when his birthday was and get him something really good.

Nova skipped happily down to the Great Hall for lunch, since she had definitely missed breakfast. Sitting down at the single table, she began to thumb through her _Ultimate Pocket Spellbook, _sucking on her lollipop as her new charm bracelet sparkled n her wrist. Glancing around the Hall, she saw that she was, as yet, alone. Grinning, Nova consulted her new spellbook, which to her delight contained a lengthy section on curses, jinxes and hexes. It also contained a lot of Dark Magic, much of which Nova was already familiar with, but some which was quite shocking, and she had witnessed the use of the Unforgiveables. Today, however, she didn't need to use Dark Magic, although she was quite sure that what she was about to do was definitely against school rules.

Quickly before anyone entered the Hall, Nova got to work, muttering incantations over some of her left-over Christmas sweets. When she saw Dorcas, Molly, Fabian and Gideon coming she immediately whipped them out of sight and began to eat her lunch. James and Sirius arrived shortly after, and the professors minutes later. When they were all seated and eating, Nova offered Sirius and James one of her Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, which they accepted. James shoved a handful down his throat and swallowed (he would regret that later), so Nova was prepared when Sirius tried it. "NO, SIRIUS BLACK, I SAID YOU COULD HAVE _ONE!_", she roared furiously, slapping him with her new spellbook.

"Can I have one, Nova?", asked a slightly hyper Prewett boy. Nova slapped the offending twin around the head with a cold cut and went back to her lunch, avoiding McGonagall's disapproving glare. A few minutes into lunch, Slughorn burst into the Hall, red-faced and panting. "S-sorry I'm late", he panted, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. Sirius patted his back, discreetly transfiguring the professor's remaining hair into an afro. None of the teachers noticed, some of them even pointedly looking the other way, and Nova could have sworn that she saw Flitwick wink at the boys. Slughorn recovered, thanked Sirius and started staggering towards his seat, looking weak. As he passed Nova offered him the bag of sweets. "Sugar-boost, Professor?", she asked innocently. Slughorn seemed to get past the instinctual fear he seemed to hold towards her and took a sweet gratefully. The Prewett twins looked outraged and Nova rolled her eyes at them. They really were like overgrown two-year-olds.

Ten minutes later Nova had finished her lunch and excused herself. The Prewett twins were already gone, muttering something about practicing recently outlawed jinxes, so it wasn't too conspicuous. Once she was outside in the Entrance Hall, she performed a Disillusionment Charm, rendering her as good as invisible. Then she sneaked back into the Great Hall to watch the magic.

Standing a few feet behind Sirius and James, she waited patiently for the charm in the sweets to take effect. She had charmed each and every flavor bean with a different spell. It had taken ages, but it would definitely be worth it. She only wished that she had gotten to McGonagall too. As the seconds wore on, Nova got more and more frustrated. The spells should have started working ages ago! This had probably been her only chance to prank Slughorn and she had messed it up!

These were the thoughts running through her head when James suddenly threw himself at Sirius and started to try and kiss him on the lips. Disgusted, Sirius tried to fend off his best friend, but James was very strong. The whole table was laughing, although McGonagall was looking around suspiciously. Nova would have to warn the Prewett twins to lie low for a while, they and her were the only possible suspects. Just as James finally managed to give Sirius a wet kiss on the cheek, there came a loud _pop_. A pillar of smoke replaced Sirius, and when it cleared, everyone burst out laughing again, and MGonagall actually went red with anger. Sirius' body was now that of an overweight toad, and only his astonished head remained. "WHAT THE FUCK?!", he roared, promptly getting about five detentions on the spot, a new record in Nova's opinion. The fact that the object of his love was now three-quarters amphibian didn't seem to dissuade James, who finally managed to get a kiss planted square on Sirius' lips. Nova almost broke a rib laughing, going into hysterics.

Next it was Slughorn's turn. Nova later decided that it must be karma, or maybe cosmic justice. With a loud _pop_ Slughorn's body was replaced with that of an overweight walrus and, in a manner similar to Sirius' transformation, his head was left intact, afro and all. Nova made a mental note to visit Pomfrey with a broken rib later, as she laughed until she literally cried. It was a testament to how hard everyone else laughed that nobody picked out Nova on the floor.

With one more look at Walrus Slughorn, lovestruck James and Toad Black, Nova dashed out of the Hall and went in search of the Prewett twins.

X

She found the two red-heads huddled in a corner of the Slytherin Quidditch stands, slipping something suspicious under one of the seats. "Fideon! Gabian!", she called, using the nicknames she had come up with in order to preserve her sanity. It was impossible to tell the difference between them, no matter what they said about freckles. Two flaming heads whipped around, breathing a sigh of relief when they saw whom it was. "Hey Nova! Why're you out here? Thought you'd still be eating."

Nova smiled and shook her head. She climbed up the stands towards them and told them about what she had done in the Great Hall. Within seconds of her finishing all three of them were on the floor, red-faced with laughter. Nova quickly realized that this was an excellent chance to see if one of her gifts still worked as well as it should. Taking a deep breath, she reached out with her mind towards the two boys, focusing on the one she thought was Fabian first. _*__Omigod! Slughorn… walrus… Sirius Black…. giant toad…. James Potter, big Quidditch airhead…in love… betraying Lily Evans…. Wish Benjy was here…* _Nova giggled, wondering who Davy was. Then she turned her attention to Gideon, still roaring laughing. _*McGonagall knows how to laugh…Prank that wasn't by the Marauders… Give them a taste of their own medicine… Can't wait to tell Davy… Wonder if Nova'll say yes if we ask her to get Potter and Evans together..*_

Nova burst out laughing all over again, reading their thoughts. It was only then that the Prewetts sensed that their minds had been invaded. "What the… bloody hell… read my thoughts..", stuttered Fabian. They both seemed to grapple with this for a minute while Nova laughed at them, until the truth dawned on Gideon's face. "YOU'RE A LEGILMENS!", he shouted. He and his brother stared at Nova in awe, while she just sat there, soaking it all up. "Yeah, sorry, I honestly haven't read anyone's mind since I got here. Please don't tell anyone else, they all think I'm an evil Death Eater…"

At her words, the twins sobered up, remembering for the first time since meeting Nova the rumours about her and her various illicit membership of a certain illegal organization. The Death Eater movement might not be particularly well-known, but as Purebloods the Prewett boys would have heard of the atrocities they had performed thus far.

After a while, Nova felt a desperate need to break the tension and silence, to bring back the boys' cheerful laughs and happy faces, to think of something other than the closed masks they now presented to her. But it was Fabian who beat her to the punch, speaking for both boys. "Are-are you really a D-Death Eater? Do you really believe in all that- Pureblood stuff?" Nova took a deep breath, preparing herself for the boys' rejection. Then, very slowly and with closed eyes, she pulled up her left sleeve to her elbow and turned her hand, palm-up towards Fabian and Gideon. She heard their gasps of horror, but to her astonishment, when she probed their minds, she found no fear, only sympathy and fascination. Maybe they were suicidal or something?

Nova opened her eyes and examined her Dark Mark. The faint grey brand showed a dark menacing skull with a long, winding snake protruding from its open mouth. If the Dark Lord were to press on the Dark Mark of any Death Eater, the brand would burn and change to jet black, summoning all bearers of the brand. The grey outline of the much-feared brand looked especially harsh against a twelve-year-old's pale skin.

Bracing herself for the screams of terror, Nova looked up at the two boys, still staring, expressions closed. They were so alike. She felt that she should explain. "It's not that I want to be a Death Eater, it was that or death! Five of the Death Eaters broke into my house when I was four and dueled and tortured my parents. They fought for hours while I hid behind the couch, and they never screamed. When my parents were dead, the Death Eaters took me instead. They'd heard about me from friends of my parents that they'd tortured, so they took me to the Dark Lord, and he gave me the choice between joining him or dying. I was only four, and terrified, and I picked life."

The twins gasped. When they had absorbed the information, they looked curious. Nova nodded at them, smiling faintly. "I suppose ye're curious. Go ahead, ask whatever." After a quick thought, Gideon was first with a question. "Why did they come after _your_ parents?" Suppressing the ghostly blanket of grief that descended upon her at any mention of her dead parents, Nova did her best to answer.

"They were duelists, you see, but that wasn't all. My father was a Legilmens, Occulmens, Parseltongue and Slytherin. The Death Eaters saw it as betraying his own when he refused to join them. My mother was a Metamorphagus and a Ravenclaw, so she knew all the spells. They were Aurors too, so I guess that that didn't help either."

A mere second later, the next question was fired at her, Fabian this time. "No offense, but why'd they take you if you were only four?" Nova took a deep breath, hoping that they'd keep this next answer to themselves.

"I inherited all five of their gifts, so I guess it was considered a powerful combination." There was a long silence, Fabian and Gideon seemed to be trying to figure something out. It was only when the light dawned on their faces that Nova realized her mistake. "You said that you inherited all _five_ of their gifts. You only told us four. What was the fifth?", asked Fabian.

"Can I trust the two of ye not to say anything to anyone? Nothing at all, 'cause what I'm about to tell ye isn't exactly legal, and I don't want to end up in Azkaban." The boys exchanged a quick glance before nodding solemnly. Nova took yet another deep breath as she prepared to disclose her biggest secret. No one else alive knew of what she was about to tell the Prewetts, not even the friends she had bared her soul to that night on the Tower.

"I'm an Animagus, unregistered. My parents were too." Instead of disgusted at this heinous breach of the law, the twins looked fascinated. "What animal were they?", asked Gideon excitedly. Nova thought back to the last time she and her parents had ran together in Animagus form, the eve of her fourth birthday, weeks before their deaths. "My father", she replied with confidence, "Took the form of a midnight panther with his green eyes. My mother transformed into an eagle, pure white with light blue feathers, with her silver eyes, like mine." Nova blinked back tears at the memory of her mother in Animagus form, soaring high above the trees while her father, as a panther, followed her movements from the ground with his customary easy grin.

"An what form do you take, Nova?", asked Gideon eagerly, snapping her out of her reverie. "A phoenix, a scarlet body with golden wings. My eyes were a very bright silver though, like they are normally. Being a phoenix is amazing: I could fly, appear and disappear in a blaze of fire, and I could heal wounds with my tears. It's amazing…" Nova stared off into middle distance.

"Can you show us?" Clearing her head, Nova nodded. "It's ben a while, didn't want to do it in front of the Death Eaters, I hope I can still do it. I'll give it a try I s'pose." Then Nova cleared her mind of all thoughts, focusing on the image of her red-and-gold phoenix. She stood on her tip-toes on the bench with her eyes closed and arms outstretched like wings. Then the familiar warm feeling spread through her body like liquid joy, and Nova felt her bones contract and change position. It may have taken longer than before, but within a second Nova Loyal was gone, a beautiful airborne phoenix in her place.

If Nova had not been busying soaring through the air, she would have heard the Prewett twins gasping, would have heard Fabian sigh out, "Blimey!" If she had not been halfway to the goal hoops, Nova would also have heard and seen Gideon turn to his brother and say, with an expression of incredulity, "Blimey's right, Fabe. I'd have to say, I think this Nova Loyal may just be the most interesting person we've ever met."

X

New Years Eve for Nova was usually just a day spent in a dark corner of a deserted room, pretending that she didn't exist. If she didn't exist, the Death Eaters couldn't bother her. The passing of yet another year had meant little or nothing to her, but that was before coming to Hogwarts.

When Nova finally tumbled into the Great Hall at seven o'clock for the end of dinner, there was a huge countdown digital clock on the wall behind where the teachers' table ordinarily was. The Hall was empty, the long table laden with a New Years feast. The silence was nice, peaceful, something Nova rarely experienced. Smiling softly, she sat down and ate her meal as fast as she possibly could. Just because it was peaceful didn't mean it would remain so, especially after what she'd done to Slughorn, Sirius and James on Boxing Day. For the last five days Nova had been hiding in her dorm, sneaking out to the kitchens for food after dark under cover of a Disillusionment Charm.

Five minutes later Nova had finished her dinner. Hastily shoving about a dozen scones into a paper bag she conjured up, Nova left the Hall. Utilizing all her knowledge about Hogwarts' secret passageways, she made it up to Gryffindor Tower in half her usual time and without catching sight of any of her victims. Sighing under her breath, Nova plodded up to her dorm, rock buns held close to her chest as she fell back onto her unmade bed. She nestled into the nest of twisted sheets and started on a rock bun.

X

Regulus Black sat alone in his large bedroom, twirling his wand through his long pale fingers. Christmas had been a lousy affair: Walburga and Orion had argued non-stop, not hesitating to take it out on Reg; Aunt Druella and Uncle Cygnus had talked non-stop; and Bella was over for Christmas with her creepy boyfriend, Rodolphus Lestrange. All in all, not the best holiday season he'd ever had, and he still had another week to endure.

"REGULUS, COME DOWNSTAIRS!", howled his mother. Reg was beginning to think she was demented, possessed. The crazy look in her eyes told him he wasn't far off. Still, the whole demented thing made disobeying her that bit worse, so Reg simply sighed and swung himself off of his bed. "COMING!", he hollered back. He walked as slowly as he possibly could down the hallway, trying not to touch off the shriveled House Elf heads mounted on plaques along the walls. The door to Sirius messy, Gryffindor-colored room was shut tightly, and when Reg went to open it it stayed locked tight. A Semi-Permanent Locking Charm was his best guess. Whether it had ben Sirius or Walburga was another matter entirely.

Almost missing his older brother for once, Reg went downstairs, keeping to the shadows as he always did to avoid the gaze of the portraits of his ancestors, who could be quite cruel with their cutting remarks. Once the portrait of Fabian Black I had told Reg to jump off a cliff onto a rock covered in upright daggers. That's a lot for a five-year-old to take in and deal with. Reg had fled to an airing cupboard to hide that time, crying and terrified. He hadn't had the courage to walk down the stairs for weeks, sleeping in the cupboard under the piles of moldy linen. Yet when a week later the same portrait had told Sirius that if he were his son he'd have thrown him into a pit full of rabid dogs after putting him through a Muggle wood-chipping machine, Sirius had actually told the esteemed Fabian Orion Black to stick his opinion where the sun don't shine, only not in those exact words, and given the portrait the middle finger, a strong and unexpected reaction from a six-year-old. Walburga had _killed_ him. Sirius still made a point of walking down the stairs with his middle finger stuck up firmly, a mocking smirk painted across the aristocratic Black features. Ever since that day Reg had always wished to b brave like his older brother, but it had never worked, no matter how hard he tried. Sirius was in a whole other sphere of courage to Reg.

"Yes mother?" Walburga sat, resplendent in all of her Christmas finery (or in other words, a dignified black dress. Reg had always known that his parents had never exactly got long, but surely it was manners to save the widows' clothing until after your husband was dead?), like a queen on her high-backed chair. No armchair for the matriarch of the House of Black. With a cold, cruel smirk so similar to Sirius that it scared Reg, Walburga waved a ringed hand to the left. Reg followed her hand and saw two boys in the year above him at Hogwarts, both of Slytherin House, one possessing dark head of hair, one a light auburn. He gulped.

"Regulus", Walburga addressed her son, "I trust you recognize these two young men? Well, Evan Rosier and Edward Avery will be staying with us for a few days while their parents deal with a _mutual_ issue along with your Uncle Cygnus and Aunt Druella. And speaking of your aunt and uncle—"

"REGGY!", squealed the dark blur racing across the room. It hit Reg with the force of a wrecking ball, knocking the breath out of him and then actually knocking him to the ground, much to Rosier and Avery's amusement. Reg flushed briefly with embarrassment before reminding himself that he shouldn't care what they, or indeed anyone else, but he did, he wasn't Sirius. Banishing the unwanted thought, Reg glanced down to where Andromeda, his favorite cousin, was hugging his waist, grinning. Fuming, Walburga glared daggers at the poor girl's back while her two sisters did the same from the sitting-room doorway.

"Come in, come in, girls. Get up immediately, Andromeda, and have some self-respect." Walburga's tone was like a whip. Andy jumped up immediately, brushing down her once-pristine robes before pulling Reg up by the collar of his robes, again, much to the amusement of Rosier and Avery. When Reg and Andy were upright and met Walburga's definition of respectability, Walburga spoke again. "Welcome, girls. Now, I trust you have all met Rosier and Avery? Yes, yes, of course you have, being in the same House and all. Now then, to the introductions. Bellatrix, Narcissa, Andromeda, meet Evan Rosier and Edward Avery. Rosier, Avery, meet Belltrix, Narcissa and Andromeda Black. I trust you already know my second oldest son, Regulus."

Rosier nodded, he and Avery wearing identical evil smirks. "Of course, Mrs Black, we know Regulus _very_ well, very well indeed. Bellatrix, Narcissa, Andromeda, pleasure to meet you all." Avery nodded politely to shove his agreement with Rosier's words, hiding his smirk from Walburga under the curtain of his over-long auburn fringe, beady green eyes seeking out Reg, a promise of pain clear. "Same to you too, boys, and I'm sure my sisters feel the same. Aunt Walburga has kindly offered to let us stay a few days here, so it looks like we'll all five of us be guests together." Bella didn't look too happy at the sound of that. Had her face always been so _sour? _

With the lone exception of Andy, Reg despised his family. Uncle Cygus and Aunt Druella, were cruel, distant and cold; Bella and Cissy were much like their parents, cold, stuck-up cows; Orion and Walburga were aloof, obsessed with upholding an obsolete Pureblood image, and cruel to their children; and speaking of their children… There was no one on earth, not even Evan Rosier, that Reg hated more than his brother, Sirius. _Sirius Black_, who had recently made Gryffindor Beater; _Sirius Black_, who seemed to have effortless intelligence; _Sirius Black_, infamous Marauder and much-loved prankster; _Sirius Black_, the gorgeous heartbreaker of Hogwarts… The list went on, Sirius had many achievements to his credit, while the most Reg could hope to achieve would be Slytherin Seeker and a passing grade in his OWLS and NEWTS. Even as children, Sirius had always outshone Reg, and Reg knew without a shadow of doubt that if Sirius conformed to their parent's ideas that he would be the favorite son, no questions asked. Sirius had natural charisma, Reg had natural camouflage, and that was just the way it was.

The introductions finished, Reg was instructed to show the guests to their bedrooms. As soon as Rosier and Avery had levitated their trunks up to the first floor landing, he led them up the dimly-lit staircase long with his three cousins, and down the House Elf Head Corridor, as he'd now decided to call it. Walking past his and Sirius' rooms, Reg reached the guest bedrooms at the end of the long hallway. He politely showed his cousins to their individual rooms, leaving the best for last for Rosier and Avery. Plastering a polite smile on his pale face, Reg swung open a door and swept his arm through the air. "Your room, Evan, Avery. Have a nice stay! Bit of friendly advice: don't poke at the curtains or the cupboards too much. They don't like that."

With that he shoved a shocked and terrified Evan and Avery into the musty, dusty, messed-up old room, and shut the door tightly before legging it back to his own room and sealing the door. Then he fell onto his bed and curled up, literally rocking as wave after wave of silent laughter shook him. His mother would kill him later, but the look on the two boys' faces when they'd seen their room was priceless. If he'd wanted to be a good mama's boy, he'd have done as Walburga'd said: divvy up the three guest rooms he'd put his cousins into between all of the guests, including Evan and Avery. Instead he'd opted for leaving the two boys in the old, filthy, Doxy-infested bedroom Walburga usually kept shut up.

As the laughter slowly dissipated, Reg lay on his bed, snickering every few seconds, and wiping his eyes. He'd be killed later, if the boys told, but it'd be worth it. It was the kind of thing, he thought that Sirius might have done, or maybe Nova or Lisa, neither of whom should be underestimated, in his opinion anyway. Reg sighed. He missed his friends, although being stuck in the House of Black for two weeks had also made him miss Professor McGonagall. Checking his Puddlemere United calendar, Reg determined that he had four days left of his guests and of his holidays before returning to Hogwarts. He could deal 'till then, right?


End file.
